Between Heaven and Hell
by Stardust Ray
Summary: AU-SquallRinoa Following the death of Odine, Squall is convicted and sent to die on an island filled with hungry T-Rexaurs. Every day is a battle for both his life and the sanity of his mind. He believes he's innocent, but others are begging to differ..
1. Prologue

**Hello, this is the introduction to my newest fanfic/summer blockbuster, hehe. Anyway, I won't update this piece until I finish my other story first, which is happening soon... real soon. I have to get the drama in this story out of the way before anything else can happen, and yes this will be a romance later on. As some of you, quite a few, know me by now, I usually take my time with the romantic stuff... (I don't believe in love at first sight, lol, I know that sucks!) Soooo...just tell me what you think, and I'll immediately (sometime next week) begin to update like crazy. **

**Thanks.**

**StardustRay**

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**Eternal Disclaimer: I own Squaresoft and Square-Enix! **

**...eh, c'mon, its reverse psychology! And Don't Sue 'cause you won't get anything...**

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_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

_**Prologue**_

"_In a world gone mad, the ramifications of a gruesome murder ought to be handled without sympathy for the guilty. No longer will they rot in their very own prison cells, but thrown on a God-forsaken continent covered with thick, mossy forests and strange beasts lurking within every shadow. These men and women will earn the right to die by the jaws of beasts, which reflects their very own horrific practices of murder to others. In such a place will they no longer have the urge to kill, but they will spend eternity living life on the edge; afraid to turn every corner and never having inner peace. Roles will reverse. For the first time, murderers will become victims. They deserve to perish, and die a thousand deaths by the fangs of those higher above on the food chain, the T-Rexaurs."_

_Dr. Odine_

I once agreed with those words. I practically lived my life by them; knowing that every evil person would perish a well deserved fate. I thought they all earned the right to the death sentence, and that it was good the world would be safer since people like them were being destroyed.

It was three months ago when the Esthar Government began to sentence criminals to that deserted continent. Convicts were chained together, unarmed, and let loose to roam about those forests like wild animals. Every last person who was sent there had died, some had even begged for death on live TV before being sent to that place, but to no avail.

I always felt safe at home with my family. I would sit on that comfortable sofa and judge convicts featured on the television's screen, crying out their eyes about being sorry for the suffering they caused…and I would…laugh.

I laughed at them for who they were and what they had done, and how they so greatly deserved death, but…the last time I paid close attention to TV…I was the one being judged.

How ironic is it? All those years I spent looking down at murderers…and now I am one. At least that's what they want me to believe, but I don't buy it one bit. It was all because of that girlfriend of mine…she was supposed to be my fiancée had I gotten the chance to propose.

She was the most beautiful person I knew. I learned so much from her, from Selphie. I loved her with all of my heart, and I was ready to share the rest of my life with her; however, she didn't feel the same way about me. I used to think so, but when I look back at the times we shared, I realize I was only fooling myself. I used to be so optimistic about everything whenever she was around…and on that dreadful morning, I do believe I was ready to take on the world.

I was an editor at my dad's magazine company, and a good one at that. This particular morning, he had promised to give me a new assignment; he would let me write my own article instead of editing someone else's work. Selphie waved me off from our apartment and gave me as much support as I had ever seen in my life…I should have known something would happen.

When I arrived in the office, my dad was no where to be found. He had received an offer of expanding the magazine so that people of foreign countries could read too. No, I wasn't disappointed, I was glad that my dad got an offer as great as that one. Because he wasn't there and no one had any new articles to edit, I decided to leave early for the day.

Selphie was home, as I had expected, but then… someone else was there too.

Have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever had all of the blood in your body pump to yourbrain at an incredible speed which causes your entire body to feel as though it will combust?

… In our bed lay Selphie and some stranger. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his cheek, unaware that I was standing in the door way witnessing it all. I swear, the thoughts that ran through my head at that moment, I deserve to be where I am right now…on this vessel bound for death.

She looked at me with those green eyes and gasped aloud, as if I was going to hurt her right there. But I couldn't do anything, only stare. Her lover looked up at me too, and I saw nothing but fear in his eyes. Slowly, I backed away from the door and took a deep breath. I could hear her tiny feet thumping against the floor; she was trying to run behind me. She grabbed my hand and pulled me back, but I threw her against the wall and said nothing. I guess my eyes said it all, for when I glared at her, she showed me the most frightened face I never thought possible.

I felt my hands urging to grab that scrawny neck of hers, and smash it together. I was trembling and panting at once; I felt like I could explode. I walked to her slowly and stood over her small insignificant body.

"…Why?"

Of course, she was silent. She was unable to move fearing that I would knock some sense into her tiny brain. She pushed her back against the wall and sat up a little, but still remained silent. Her silence was killing me slowly. All I wanted was an answer.

"_Why_ Dammit?"

She flinched slightly and closed her eyes, still afraid and maybe even feeling pain. I wanted her to feel pain, feel my pain, so I punched the wall beside her face just to startle her once more. As much as I wanted to hit her, I couldn't. I could never forgive myself for hitting a woman, especially one as petite as Selphie. That would mean I'm a coward, but if the pain she caused me could be seen physically, one would think that we had had a fair fight. She started crying on the floor, which made me turn away. I hated seeing her cry, because whenever she was sad, I always felt the need to comfort her. This time was different. When she cried, I walked to the table and knocked a few things from off its top. The glasses shattered and left a mess on the floor.

Suddenly, her lover came from out of the room, fully dressed and concerned for Selphie. Just when he revealed his face, those glass particles began to look like my friends. How I wanted to send those glass shards through the air to pierce his skin.

"Selphie!" He said as he ran in.

"Don't touch her!" I said to warn him if he had made another move, I would hurl one of those broken glasses across the room in a flash. "Don't you dare lay another finger on her! Get out of here, now!"

"NO!"

"If you don't leave, I'll call an ambulance and I promise that _you'll _be the one riding inside of it!"

"Irvine, just go!" Selphie screamed to him.

Without second thought, the guy was out of the door. "Oh some lover he is, see how quick he left you here! I would have stayed for you, Selphie! You _know _that!"

"Squall, I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry, so don't even waste your breath. If you were sorry, you wouldn't have brought him h_ere_, in o_ur_ house, in _Our_ Bed! I can't believe you!"

Once again, she had fallen silent. It seems the guilty have no words to explain, only excuses. But even before this happened, I had been feeling emptier with every day gone by. Maybe Selphie felt the same way? So I just had to ask…

"Selphie…did you ever really love me?"

Those green eyes slowly turned to me as she whispered her answer, "…No."

My heart shattered…and needless to say, I was out of that door quickly. I rushed myself to the Pub and stood there the entire day, bingeing myself with alcohol. That one year I spent with the woman, and that was how she repaid me. I needed to get her out of my mind, once and for all…and apparently; alcohol was the best way to do it.

I drank so much that I forgot most of what happened that day and night. I do remember meeting a new friend there, and learning that he worked for Esthar and was currently taking a breather. My new friend and I, we hit it off pretty well. I drank a few more beverages, and called it a night.

The next day, I woke up in bed, wreaking of alcohol and a stench I had no idea existed at all. I was not surprised to find that Selphie wasn't beside me, and there was a thought in my mind which suggested that maybe my odor had scared her away. I smiled a little and squeezed the pillow within my grasp. Suddenly, I heard a man clear his throat loudly and annoyingly, which shot my eyes right open.

"Mr. Loire?" His voice rang like the bell in Dollet, loud with a lasting affect.

"Um…yes?" I said while rising from my bed, trying to wipe the sleep from my eyes.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Ralph Odine of Esthar."

"W-what! Are you serious?"

"You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say _can_ and _will _be used against you in the court of law."

"This is some kind of mistake! I don't even know him!"

At that moment, I realized I should have remained silent. When I mentioned myself never actually meeting him, I was served with evidence that Odine was the guy at the bar I had become friends with so quickly. It turns out just hours after I walked out of the door with him, he was found dead on the street in Timber.

From the time I discovered Selphie, and the mad fit I threw before I left, to the time I arrived at the Pub and drank my sorrows away concluded that I had motive for the murder. It was ludicrous. Why would I want to take that man's life?

As time grew on, more and more people began to testify with or against me: people from my job, the bar, friends, family, and Selphie. I believe Selphie's statement was the most convincing of all. According to her, I was acting like an entirely different person earlier that day, a bad one, a side of me she had never really seen for her self. She said I looked like I could have _killed_ her. And of course, those were a bad choice of words to use.

Needless to say, the jury empathized with her and looked down on me like a mad dog. So here I am, on this vessel, chained together with another convict who was probably accused of murder as well, except, he probably _did_ commit the murder. I on the other hand, have no idea what happened that night. I don't know if I'm innocent or if I did commit the crime. Honestly, I don't remember a single thing that happened from the moment I stepped inside the Pub. My life has just been handed over to those beasts in the forests of Esthar.

For all my life, I worked hard for what I had gained. Even though my dad and mom were financially successful, I earned everything I had for myself. I've never cheated for anything I obtained, and I almost reached every goal that I set out for myself. I had a life, I had family, I had friends, and I had…a fiancée, but…because I laughed at the reality broadcasted all over the world…here I am, a laughingstock to home viewers, a murderer.

Because Odine was the genius who developed this new form of capital punishment, I got the death sentence and cruel treatment from soldiers of Esthar. I don't know what will happen to me when I get there, and to tell you the truth, I don't even care anymore.

Did I mention that every last person who was sent to this continent has died by becoming a meal for those beasts? Before me, there have been people sent off to this continent every four weeks for two consecutive month. These people were sent off in bunches of six or more. Six or more convicts' bodies or death cries were discovered, by the wardens, whenever any of them encountered a T-Rex, and it was announced that they were successfully killed so the family of the convict's victim could rest at ease because their killer had been slain.

The last case I remember hearing about was that of the first woman sentenced to death. The wardens said she died just as soon as she stepped out of the vessel. Her father fought hard to protect her, but just like the men who had prayed for another solution besides this fate, he failed. After losing his daughter, he fought hard to protect others from losing their sons and daughters the same way he did. I guess his plan failed because…Here I am, awaiting _my_ cruel fate.

I miss my family, and I will always love them. My mom, my dad, and my sister, they are all I know, but right now no one can save me.

All hope is lost. All tears have been shed. All the love and support in the world couldn't prove me innocent, and so, my life for as long _or _as little as I have lived, will be over. All I worked so hard to achieve…erased. And now, I can't help to think that I lived my life in vain.

At this point in time, the only thing that will keep me from crying is the fact that maybe I am a murderer…and just like I said before, murderers deserve to die. Don't we?

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**Author's Note:**

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Well, that's it. Like I said, the real story will kick in next time.

...Capatilizing in the midst of a sentence...especially a direct dialect sentence usually means a character is angry, too. But thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't meant to cap all of those words.

to naysaysfire--Thanks for telling me, here's a repost of the same story!


	2. Survival of the Fittest

_**Tis I again, I hope this story isn't boring! lol. Please let me know, because I have another idea and I'm ready to fire away at it. :) ...But I did promise to finish any project I began, and so here I am...standing by my word. If there are any readers, please speak up. (How desperate Imust sound right now, itspathetic. ) Anyway, this storysounds so much better whenever I think about it because then, it becomes like a movie for me. I'm trying to explain it in detail so that you all can get the picture... And Squall...he's a bitOOC...he's a bit too descriptive at times...hehe...Well I've rambled on enough...so enjoy!**_

_Did you notice the Eternal Disclaimer from before? Well don't go looking for anymore! _

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_Chapter 1: Survival of the Fittest _

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__On the dark and misty seas, the foghorns of a large metallic vessel sounded in the night as it approached the shores of an unwelcoming continent. It was met by a water bridge made up of wooden planks supported by pillars from beneath. The nose of the ship made contact with the tip of the bridge, and stationed itself securely in position to release its passengers._

I saw the warden release the door switch causing it to spread open swiftly. Fog from outside flowed right in, and seeing this caused a few of us to tremble with fear. One convict, occupying a seat down from me, began to scream and cry at once. I noticed the warden hadn't said anything about the man's state as if he were used to witnessing grown men breakdown in tears. He chuckled and looked away from the crying man.

On board the vessel were six convicts, including myself, and sitting across from me was a younger looking criminal who seemed to be no older than eighteen years. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing jeans that stopped a little below his knee, and a blue shirt covered by a black button down shirt with red decorations smeared across it. He also wore a pair of red sneakers to compliment the shirt; I figured anyone who wears red sneakers has to be a teenager. Anyway, his body was shaking for the entire boat ride. We all knew the kid was afraid, but the constant rattling of his chains was starting to make everyone just a bit scared as well.

Beside the kid was a bigger and older man. His skin was a bit darker and his hair was either dark black or dark brown, who knows, I couldn't really distinguish between the two colors because of the darkness within the vessel. Well, this guy sat as calm as could be. I have to admit, it was a bit chilly inside so any one of us could have shivered from time to time, but _he_ was wearing a vest and hadn't shuttered once! He kept this _strange_ smirk on his face the entire time it took us to reach land. I wondered what could have possibly been funny, but I never dared to question him about it.

I couldn't see the person beside him, but I knew he was trembling as well; however, I did happen to see the guy sitting beside me, all though I almost forgot that he was that close to me because he was so quiet. He occasionally tapped his foot in a rhythm; a song had obviously continued to replay was in his mind. I guess it was his method of calming himself down. I don't really blame the guy because I was on the verge of screaming out just like the lunatic beside him had done.

I looked down at my own attire and sighed. I was wearing a white t-shirt, black pants, and black sneakers. For someone who slightly knew what to expect of this continent, I dressed for the wrong occasion. I was asked what clothes I wanted to wear, as it was the honorable thing to do, much like eating the last meal before being electrocuted later on that same day. I requested my favorite clothes; unfortunately, they were in the cleaners unfortunately. My god what's happened to me, I'm more upset about the clothes than I am about being fed to some beast… We're _lunch_ for crying out loud! Why did it matter what we wore?

"This is it boys. It was a long ride, but now you're on your own." The warden said with a smile that had upset my stomach to its pit. He pushed a button which stimulated a magnetic force, causing our connected chains to rise from the floor and yank us from our seats. "Let's go people. We don't have all day."

"Can we pray first?" The young convict sitting across from me asked.

"Pray?" The warden grinned, "What you did is unforgivable. Penance is the only way to freedom, son."

"…We pay with our lives, ya know." The older convict beside the young blonde muttered.

"Precisely, now get off my ship!" He said as he motioned us toward the exit. Immediately, the chains began to pull us all to the front of the vessel.

Together we walked in a single file onto the wooden bridge. We were surprised when the warden pressed one button from his silvery suit of armor which made the entire bridge glow a bright blue. A single circle appeared beneath each of us convicts, but around the vessel and warden yellow spheres had formed. Suddenly a loud snap was heard and all of our chains unlocked simultaneously and fell to the ground, then were drawn back inside by the ship's incredible A. I. System. We stood and studied our arms and legs, amazed at the fact that our limbs were once bound together by those chains. The same man who had previously cried aloud was now cheering, until we each heard a hideous screech from within the dark forest that stood towering us.

"What was that?" The younger criminal nervously asked.

"…It's them. It's really them! The T-Rexaurs!" The panicky man screamed aloud while running toward the vessel for cover. When he ran to the sphere, he was repelled back about ten yards, and had landed hard on the grounds of the minacious continent. He was frightened stiff on the ground as he came face to face with that of a beast. We were also frozen when we saw the T-Rex, and had watched the man scream uncontrollably for his life. I closed my eyes when the scream became faint, but I could hear his limbs being tumbled around inside the mouth of the T-Rexuar.

The young criminal knelt down and cried. "Oh my god, where _are_ we!"

"Hell." I said in a low voice, but loud enough for them to hear. I walked passed him and watched the T-Rex turn away; its hunger had finally subsided.

"No. No way man! I didn't do anything to deserve this!" The young criminal panicked again.

"You all can stand _here_ all day if you want. I know that _that_ _thing_ will be back. Besides, the warden's already left." A deeper voice said from behind us. Each of our heads turned back and saw that the warden and his vessel were indeed gone from the docking point. I felt my heart racing inside my chest when I realized my fate was absolute death.

"He didn't even give us tips for survival!" The blonde kid whined on the ground. "I'm telling ya, man, I didn't even do it on purpose!"

"Hey, you, whatever your name is. It's every man for himself, so grow up and deal with it." The older convict said before charging out into the forest. For some reason, I sensed that he was a bit too calm about the entire situation. When he ran passed me, I saw on his shoulder was a symbol carved onto a slivery armband. I remember now. A couple of weeks before I was to be sent here, there was another person with a symbol similar to that one. I believe she was the second woman sentenced to death. She and her partner were notorious bank robbers and had used whatever meant necessary to get Gil from the banks; it didn't matter if it were murder, taking hostages, or anything, those two always were successful. However, they were finally caught after a slip up, and yet he still got away; Left his only partner behind to be arrested, but obviously he's here now, so I guess they _both_ were unsuccessful then.

"The names' Zell, and wait up man!" The younger criminal yelled out behind him, and followed his new partner into the darkness. Just as the two ran inside, hundreds of birds took flight from the bushy trees of the forest. Within a matter of minutes, even more hideous screeches were heard deep in its thick greenery. There were two other criminals left behind with me. One of the men took off and left us staring blankly at one another.

He shrugged his shoulders and spoke with a heavy sigh, "Nida."

"Squall" I replied, and then we both took off into the forest behind the third man.

"Aaaagh" The scream of the man who had run in front Nida and me was heard, which caused me to lose focus on the current path I took. I tripped over a loose tree root, I suppose, and fell down, but I continued to fall. I was falling down a mossy hill at a speed so incredible that monstrous heaves of wind stung my face as I tumbled helplessly down the earth, and at the very bottom I crashed into the remains of a human skeleton.

In the midst of my dizziness, I saw old dirty bones beside myself. "What the…" I said half out of breath. I moved my arm and reached to pick up the skull in my hand. "Is this place for real? Is this all really happening!" I dropped it immediately and fought against my injured body to bring myself from the ground. I ran deeper into the forest until I felt my body about to give out completely.

Suddenly, someone snatched my arm and pulled me inside a bushy hideaway made up of thorn plants. "Oww!" I yelled out when a thorn scratched across the side of my face, and a hand quickly covered my mouth.

"Shh."

It was already too dark to distinguish a friend from foe, so it was impossible to tell apart whatever or whoever it _was_ trying to help me.

I tried to calm myself down, but my breathing was unrelenting. All of these events were building up inside of my shell, and I feared that I would lose it at any moment. I was in no way prepared to witness all of these horrible things, yet I was an editor, and had spent a great deal of my time reading articles about the lives of men that were indestructible, yet were maniacal and homicidal at once, but had been killed or captured. I never once witnessed a man's body being snapped in half by some beast, so how was I supposed to deal with it?

When I managed to ease just a little, I saw, from the openings of the bushes, a familiar man running hastily through the forest. It was Nida, and he had hidden himself behind a tree, but because the massive footsteps of the angry beast pounded the ground heavily, Nida fell from his position and into the pathway of the T-Rex. I watched as he raised his hands and begged for mercy, but the beast roared aloud and lunged toward him with its mouth opened wide.

"Ni" I attempted to call out to him, but the hand once again covered my mouth. In horror, I watched as Nida was bitten in half by the beast. It stood in one place, devouring his body slowly as if savoring every last taste of flesh and blood. After it was satisfied, the T-Rex ran and disappeared into the vastness of the forest.

"…No." I said against the hand. To witness something that gruesome, I wonder how I managed to murder Odine and not remember any part of it. I felt myself trembling with fear of being masticated by a huge beast like that, for a crime I probably wasn't even guilty of committing.

"Get used to it." She whispered into my ear. I looked back at her, my rescuer, and noticed that she was the same woman who had been the first woman sentenced to death weeks ago. In the dark, I managed to make out her face from what little moonlight illuminated the forest at that moment. Her pale face seemed as calm as ever, but her eyes said that she had spent a lifetime here. "Come with me, and try to keep up. If you get lost behind me, I won't be able to save you again."

"…Why didn't you help him?"

"Let's not talk about that now. We're already standing in the dead zone." She said while expertly emerging from the thorny bushes without receiving a single scratch. I stood slowly, but my shirt's sleeve was caught by one of the thorns and ripped in half.

"Damn." I said while touching my sleeve.

"All those clothes will be the death of you. Follow me." She said and took off deeper into the woods. I was able to distinguish her bright shirt from all the darkness, and relied on such to keep up with her swift maneuvering.

We passed what sounded like running waters and windy gusts within the forest. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. After hearing them so much, I guess she decided we should take a little break.

"You should probably get a drink of water. It may be awhile before we get to our destination." She said while kneeling down beside the stream of water, and dipping her hands inside. I was already exhausted. I fell down before the stream and desperately sought to draw forth water to my mouth for survival.

After I managed a few sips, I was able to focus just a little better. "Where are we going?"

"Well, there's a place up ahead where a few of us survivors gather sometimes." She sipped water from her hand and then drew more to wash her face.

"..There are others?"

"Yes. Only a few though, and it decreases with each passing day. Somehow, we're still here." She stared down into the stream and sighed, "…This place we're going to, it's not really safe either, so don't think we'll be out of harm's way once we get there."

"…Oh" I said and looked into the stream with her. I saw myself, my reflection and I remember thinking to myself at that moment. _Who are you?_

"What's your name?" She asked me, as if predicting what was on my mind.

"…I'm"

"You know what? Don't bother telling me. If we _both_ make it to the meeting point, then I'll want to know who you are."

"…Why?"

"…Well." She stood from the stream and clasped her hands together. "…Most of the time when I meet someone new, they're killed the next day by the T-Rexaurs. So…I don't want to get attached to you if you'll just get eaten an hour later." She said followed by a sigh. Her eyes went to the ground sadly. "…I couldn't save that other man because the T-Rex…it…"

"…I understand. It could've killed us all, right?"

"Yeah" She said and turned away from me, obviously hiding some sad facial expression present. "Are you ready? We should get going now."

"Alright" I stood from the stream and wiped away the water from my forehead.

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It's been almost an hour since I witnessed those terrible deaths. The sun is justbeggingto rise, which wouldmake it easier to see our path. When we were in darkness, I had forced myself to walk up to her speed fearing that I would lose sight of her at any second, but now that the sun is out, I guess I'm walking beside her for protection. For someone who has been here only a few weeks, her body is already built like she's gone years stranded on an island fighting for survival. She has her black hair tied back into a low pony tail which almost reaches the mid portion of her back; her light blue shirt is blemished with dirt stains, the black shorts might have been ripped from long black pants, and her black hiking boots are scuffed from walking the rough terrain of the forest for so many days in a row. Obviously, the woman has had a tough time here thus far. 

All the while, I can't get over the fact that she was rumored to be dead already. How in the world has she survived here for so long? The longer I study her, the more I become curious about her. Just by taking one look at her face, I see innocence burning true, but isn't she a convicted felon as well? I saw her look up at the forested sky and smile a little; I can't help but wonder what could possibly be on her mind that would make her smile.

"Another day" She whispered into the heavy morning air and I was almost confused by her comment; I looked at her quickly and quizzically. Another day of survival, I suppose? She looked at me and smiled softly then focused her attention on the trail ahead. I don't know why, but right now, I feet like everything will be fine. …Only, since when has everything been fine for me? I'm in _this_ stupid place for crying out loud.

"Rinoa! Where have you been! You had me worried!" A voice of a blonde male called out from afar. He was pointing at her and tapping his foot, angrily.

"Sorry about that!"

"Sorry _nothing_, I thought you became a late night snack for one of the T-Rex." He said while approaching us. He looked at me strangely, though. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. "Who are you?" He asks and stares me down as if I were some sort of thief. His black vest seems to cling to his muscular frame every time he breathes, and I guess it threatens away all the convicts and T-Rexuars, I _suppose_… "Well?" Again he spoke, but this time with a flinch of his muscles. I wasn't sure if he were trying to interrogate me or intimidate me, but before I could get my answer out, she cut into the one-sided conversation.

"He's one of the newest guys to arrive. Just like I _thought_ and had _told _you so, those were the vessel's _horns_ we heard out there. I knew it was headed this way."

"Like it really makes a difference whether we're informed of the new arrivals or not, we're all in this mess together and we'll all die here someday."

"…I'd like to think not." She protested.

"Whatever you think can't be helped. It's do or die in this jungle, sweetheart."

"Well I'm not going to die." She said while turning away with a jerk of her hips. She walks away from us and vanishes amongst the woody trees.

He chuckles, "That's what the _last_ guy said, and do I even need to tell you what happened to him?" He walked behind her, but I stood there watching the two of them, not wanting to get in the way.

"Seifer, where is everyone!" She yelled from some unknown location.

"Keep your voice down! They just haven't arrived yet." He said and watched as she reappeared before our eyes. She sighed and looked at the ground.

"That's two times this week this has happened." She said while folding her arms. "I'm beginning to think they're giving up on their lives."

"No. I know they'll do anything to get here." He said as he walked ahead to check for any of the expected party.

"I'm sure you're right." I heard her say softly while looking at him. She then turned her attention to me. "That was Seifer, one of the guys I arrived here with. We've pretty much stayed close since day one. I don't think I'd be alive if it weren't for him."

"…I see." I answered. I wonder where the others are and how they're fairing. What if they're already dead?

"Please tell me, what's your name?"

"It's Squall."

"I'm Rinoa. It's good to see that you've survived your first night here. Maybe you could stay with us."

"…I don't think I can stay here." Actually, I don't think I can stay anywhere at this point. The only way out of that mess is death…and that's easily said _and_ done.

"…It's dangerous out there. You'll get killed."

My eyes dropped to the ground when she said the word, killed. How am I supposed to survive here? Well, she has managed to live a while here… She touches my shoulder and smiles sincerely, "Don't worry, I'll stick with you."

Stick with me? Wouldn't that be a little too much for her? Having to watch out for her safety while worrying about me? No, I can't put that on her shoulders.

"…I." I started, but was cut off by Seifer.

"Rinoa, I think I hear something coming this way. Get the new guy and let's go, _now._"

"His name is Squall!" She took the words right out of my mouth.

"Who cares what his name is, just get him and let's go!"

"Okay, you heard him. Let's get out of here, Squall."

As we run, I wonder what the heck it could be that's following us. If it were a T-Rex, we would hear its stomping, and if it were human, they'd probably call out to us. Whatever it is, it's getting closer, but I'm too afraid to look back.

"Whoa!" Seifer shouted when he glanced back, and forced himself to stop.

"Hey!" Rinoa yelled at him for stopping, but when she turned back, she looked a little disappointed. "It's just you?"

"Hehehe…" I hear the voice of another woman laughing behind me when I finally came to a stop.

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_**Author's words:**_

Because some survived the awfully dull intro, I've decided to post up this second chapter in order to spice things up a bit. Just let me know if you like it or not. Thanks!


	3. The Hopeless

**Hey, again! I know, this is a completely crazy idea, but nevertheless, I will continue to write. Well, here we go…**

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**_Between Heaven and Hell_

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**

_Chapter 2: The Hopeless_

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"It's just you?" Rinoa said with a hint of disappointment.

"Hehehe." I heard the voice of another woman when I finally came to a stop.

- - - - - - - - v- v- - - - - - - -

The woman looks at us sitting, gasping for air, thinking that some sort of fiend was chasing us. I had my arms folded, just staring away at the ground. I don't want to look at any of them after that run.

Just a I had suspected earlier, the man with the silvery armband had partnered up with this woman because she too was wearing the armband and a dark blue shirt, which she without a doubt had turned into a vest. She smirks at Rinoa and turned to Seifer with the same grin, "You should've seen the looks on your faces."

"That isn't funny, Fujin!" Rinoa said as she wiped the perspiration from her forehead.

"I know. I guess I'm starting to realize just _why_ the T-Rexuars have so much fun when they're hunting us down. But then again, I wouldn't want to eat anything that looks as hideous as you guys." She had laughed and covered her mouth.

"That's enough. So, what took you so long?" Seifer tried to change the subject.

"…I'm really sorry I scared you, okay? Anyway, I was preoccupied with the new arrivals." She said while motioning her hand behind herself. We all looked behind her, and didn't see anyone. I scratched the back of my head and turned to Rinoa, who had shrugged her shoulders while staring back at me.

"Hey, you're new!" Fujin said while pointing at me.

"Um…yeah." Yes, I'm one of the newest to arrive, but it's nothing to be _excited_ about.

"Fujin, _who_ exactly have you brought here with you?" Seifer said, obviously he was tired of waiting for the stragglers to arrive. For this one occasion, I agree with him.

"Fuj! Who's that you're talking to?" I heard the sound of that familiar deep voice from before.

"Yo, Raijin wait up!" And following behind the deep voice was that of Zell's, if I remember his name correctly.

"People! Just what took you guys so long?" Fujin said while turning around to face them.

Seifer groaned, "Seriously."

"We couldn't see the light from your shiny hair anymore and we lost you, ya know." Raijin, I'm guessing, said with a smile as he approached us.

"Well if you weren't babysitting, maybe you _could_ keep up with me without having to look at my hair." Now that he mentioned it, her hair does look pretty shiny, it's almost a very light colored blonde, almost as bright as the sun. I feel my mouth forming a smile, and when I looked at Rinoa, she was smiling at probably the same thing.

"Fujin, is this the partner you've been rambling on about?" Seifer asked while flaunting his muscles again. Raijin is obviously bigger in build than Seifer, perhaps Seifer's intimidated?

"Yes, he is. Meet Raijin, my closest ally." She said while placing her hand on his shoulder.Raijin put his hands on his hips and smiled _friendly_ at Seifer, who sneered in return. I quickly turned away, as the two were secretly competing with one another.

"What about you?" Rinoa asked the short, nervous blonde trembling beside Raijin.

"M-me? I'm Zell." He said nervously. Just how in the world is this guy still alive? "If you don't mind, could we get moving?" He spoke quickly and quietly as if a T-Rexuar were spying on us at the moment.

"Just a second Zell." Fujin said to him and walked away from Raijin. She stood between Rinoa and Seifer and smirked, "These cowards are Seifer and Rinoa, and the guy over there…whose name I don't know yet, you two may have already met."

"…Squall." I muttered.

Raijin had begun laughing and pointing at us, and I saw Seifer angrily hold up his fist. He was about ready to smite Raijin square across his cheek when Fujin pulled Rinoa to the side and the two began talking, both men stopped and watched the females walk away.

"Okay. Over the past few days, I walked as far as I could over that way." She pointed back to the direction she and the others and ran in from. "Now, I'm not too sure exactly which way _that way_ is but, I do know that there's no where else beyond that point. So far it looks as though we're surrounded by mountains, except for…"

"Except for the shorelines we arrived on?

"Right. Now just how many shorelines are on this continent, I have no clue, but that was the most I was able to get from my little journey."

"Well, that's good. Thank you for taking a look for me."

"It was no problem. I happen to like that side a little better than I do these central parts. At least…this place _feels_ like we're center everything." Fujin scratched the side of her face and sighed, "One thing though, the closer I get to those mountains, the more T-Rexuars start appearing. Its dangerous over yonder, so I advise you not to go wandering that place alone."

"…Thanks for the warning." Rinoa said while turning around from Fujin. I'm not too sure, but I think Rinoa may have a plan of her own.

"Rinoa, just what are you trying to do anyway? Don't you know it's pointless to tease yourself into thinking there's hope?" Fujin spat, but Rinoa only shrugged her shoulders. Fujin chuckled and shook her head, "Seriously, it's impossible. Do you remember that crew I came here with?"

"I only knew them for two seconds." Rinoa replied while folding her arms.

"Exactly! Those idiots were going to attempt swimming! …You know near the docking port there's a little shoreline, right?"

"Yep."

"Well, they decided to try and jump off the end of the bridge and swim until they reached land."

"…Go on."

"Unfortunately, there is an invisible force field surrounding the exits and entries of this continent, which will fry us if we ever attempted to escape from the forests on the shorelines. And about those guys… Need I say _anymore_?"

Rinoa sighed and looked at the ground, "Point well taken." She said in defeat.

"I can't believe this is happening." Said the nervous blonde. He looked around himself in fear. "So are we camping here or something? Wouldn't we need to start a fire?"

"There's no way to start a fire around here. Everything's too muddy and damp, and there's always a mist in the air." Seifer said while pacing and looking around.

"In other words, you'll have really cold nights here." Fujin started.

"Precisely." Rinoa finished.

"Give me two sticks and a stone, I'll make a fire." Zell said. I was just glad to hear that he was starting to calm down just a little.

"If you really think you can start a fire, go on and try it. And if you do manage to get a fire started, just know that the T-Rex will quickly come after you. Don't say I didn't warn you." Fujin said while smirking. She's just as bad as Seifer, maybe even worse. I wonder if these people were this way before or after they got here: extremely blunt and straight to the point. I'm not sure if they're all just plain _crazy_ or…correct.

"Okay, so is everyone done? Too many bodies in one area tends to-"

"Incoming T-Rex! Run!" Raijin yelling as he ran toward us, and the screeching roar from afar, had cut off Seifer's words.

"Wha-?" All of us said together.

"No!" Zell panicked and was the first of us to take off running from the group. We all began to run and went our separate ways.

I could hear its breathing from behind as I ran, and I tried with every ounce of energy in my body to push all of my strength to my legs. I lost sight of everyone else, and I could hear its breath faintly in the background some distance behind me. I realized I was out of harm's way, and I stopped to catch my breath for a moment.

When I looked around and saw where I was, I completely forgot about the danger that lingered somewhere behind. There was a small pond surrounded by dozens of bushy trees, and birds were chirping all around. It was like some sort of haven for harmless animals, which was very peaceful and relaxing. I found myself walking to the pond and looking in its mossy, greenish waters.

"…It's so quiet here. I would never have expected to find a place like this on a continent full of chaotic beasts." I said while scratching the back of my head. From the entire run, my hair has gotten moist and unruly. It's been awhile since I've done any real grooming to myself. The only thing I was aloud to do was pick out a decent meal and clothes for my execution.

Now that I think about it, I didn't even get a decent goodbye from my family. I wonder if everyone's okay. Who am I kidding? Of course they're _not _okay. They must think that I'm dead by now. I'm sure someone lied to them and said I was killed soon after setting foot onto this devilish soil.

"_Squall, we'll try to get you out! I promise!" My mother said as she embraced me for the last time, and I held onto her._

"_I love you mom."_

"_I love you too, sweetie, but I...we will see you again. Okay?"_

"_Mom…thank you…for everything."_

"_Don't talk like that."_

"_Ma'am, we have to take him away."_

"_Squall!" She said again, "Laguna, do something! He's our son. We can't let them take him away." I looked at my dad and nodded to him slowly, and he did the same. He had understood my goodbye to him. He held out his hand, and I shook it, then he pulled me into a hug._

"_I'm with your mother on this, son. There's no way we're giving up on you."_

"…_Dad."_

"_Sir!" The guard called to get my father's attention._

"_I'm saying goodbye to my son! Do you have a kid! Is he still alive!" He yelled while letting go of me. He glared at the guard with heavily smoldering eyes. The guard tried to avoid eye contact with him, and pulled me away. I saw my sister crying into a dampened clothe as she reached out for me. I reached for her as well. For a mere second we touched, but again, the guard had pulled me back from my family. _

_Before I was led out of the room, I saw Selphie mouthing the words, "I'm sorry, Squall."_

_Sorry? How can she possibly feel sorry for me?_

"…That bit-" I suddenly heard a monstrous roar from behind, which snapped me quickly out of my thoughts and swears. Whether it's the same T-Rex _or_ another, I don't know, and I really can care less. 

"Not again!" I yelled while running around the pond. Uncertain of the distance between the giant reptile and I, I ran as fast as I could, and then saw that the ground ahead of me had descended like a slope. The slope is similar to the hill I fell down last night, maybe even deeper. Deeper? This could be to my advantage.

The T-Rex is gaining speed on me, and I don't know what I'm planning to do. "Come on!" I told my legs and came close to the slope, and the T-Rex gave itself a boost from the ground. Before ever thinking twice, I slid across the ground like a baseball player to home base and caught hold of a loose tree root, and held on to it while I watched the T-Rex soar above me and descend down the slope. I could hear it screaming when it slammed into higher ground from the other side of the slope. My heart, it feels like it will explode.

"Get up…Get up." I kept telling myself, but I couldn't move. I watched the T-rex struggle to move its hind legs, and I realized something was not right about that picture. Something was definitely abnormal about the T-Rex; it's _size_ for one. It whined and boosted itself from the ground again. After a few seconds, I discovered the horrible truth.

"Oh my god…that's just a baby?" I slowly pushed myself from the ground and stood to my feet. "…If that's the kid…then…where's it's mother?"

"Aaaaaaagh!" I heard what sounded like Rinoa's scream from far away. I scanned around quickly and ran toward her voice. She screamed again, and somehow I feel like there's no way I can catch up to her.

"Oh, no! Rinoa!"

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**Thanks for those reviews, everyone. They were really inspiring! **

**This chapter is a bit awkward, isn't it? Don't worry, I'm updating really soon. So…no worries, okay? **

**_StardustRay_**


	4. Reflected Memories

_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

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_Chapter 3: Reflected Memories_

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The more I ran, the more I was able to see the T-Rexuar's figure up ahead myself. The only thing that I felt glad about was the fact that I had run in the right direction. 

"Rinoa!" I heard someone else call to her from her left side. Quickly, Rinoa cut through some trees and caused the T-Rex to lose its sense of direction. When she tricked the beast, it had slowed down running for a bit. Rinoa quickly ran to the person, who I think could be Seifer.

As the two of them ran off, I found myself still jogging behind a confused T-Rexuar. I stopped quickly and caught my breath, but made sure to stay as quiet as possible.

I felt like my lungs were closing up because of the running I had done. I have never ran so much in my entire life. I gripped my shirt and pulled it from my chest to create a cool wave of air, and leaned over to take in some oxygen.

"Rraaaagh!" I heard it roar again, and when I looked up, I saw the T-Rexuar running after Rinoa and Seifer once again. They were a good running distance ahead, but the T-Rex began to outstretch its legs and move faster. I didn't think it could move so fast.

"Rinoa!" I instinctively called out to her, and regrettably got the beast's attention instead. It quickly reared its head, changed direction, and charged after me all because of my big stupid mouth.

I was frozen stiff as I watched that beast hastily run toward me with razor sharp teeth and penetrative claws. I felt my body trembling with fear, also.

"Run! Squall, Run!" Rinoa yelled as she and Seifer had stopped to watch me _save the day. _

Here I stand, watching that beast lunging to me with a grand appetite for human flesh, and I'm unable to move. "Squall, get out of there!"

_Rinoa, as much as I want to move, I can't! _That's all I can think of saying to her at a time like this…

"Rinoa, come on before you distract it and it'll come after us again!" I heard Seifer yell to her as he pulled her arm, but she pushed him away and screamed at me.

"What are you waiting for, dammit? _Move_!"

Now that I think about it, if I make a move to my right, the T-rex will just cut me off at the angle. If I run toward Rinoa, it will just result in an even bigger chase that will be the death of one of us. …I don't want it to get her…she needs to get away from here, as quickly as possible.

"Run!" She shouted again.

"You first!" I yelled while continuing to stand, planted into the ground.

"But-"

"You heard me! Go, Now!" Just as I yelled, the T-rex quickly entered in deadly range with me. I looked around myself and saw a stone about the size of my fist lying on the ground. I quickly reached down for it and looked at the T-Rex once more as it charged at me.

"Run and don't look back!" I said as I hurled the stone at the beast's face. When the stone struck its eye, it roared in agony, which seemed to have resounded throughout the entire forest. As soon as it became distracted, I took off running to the right, completely avoiding Rinoa's direction.

And I ran…

I don't know where the T-Rex is now, but I have been running for a while now. There aren't anything but thick leafy trees up ahead, and no way out of the danger zone. "This is hopeless." I said as I began to jog. Then I saw it, my ray of hope; there stood a large, low and climbable tree just _screaming_ for me to jump aboard.

I managed to pick up my speed and make my way to the tree. I leapt into the air and clung, desperately trying to pull my body upward onto its thick branches. I grabbed branch by branch swiftly to escape the wrath of that beast.

In the distance, I could hear its loud stomping through the forests as it ran after me. I watched as it made its way closer to me. Even though I sat high above the ground, the T-Rex could still sense me in the tree.

It screeched from below me while putting its claws into the tree trunk to climb, but couldn't penetrate long enough to hold up its own body weight. It looked at me and became quiet, and I stared into its eyes from where I stood hanging onto the branch of a tree, supported by two others underneath each of my feet.

They say a person should never give an animal eye contact; otherwise the beast would become insulted and strike harder. But as I stare into this T-Rex's eyes, I sense something more. I was already breathing heavily as I continued to stare, and I watched as sweat dropped from my face and landed onto its face. Surprisingly, the T-Rex had not flinched.

"…You're…you're a prisoner here too, aren't you?" Just as I asked, it roared aloud and scrambled away. I don't know what it was, but I was thankful it had given up on me.

I watched as the beast ran deeper into the forest and vanished from my view. I sighed in relief and fell back into the support of the tree.

Now I see why Rinoa said what she said before. _"Another day."_

* * *

"_What's wrong with you? You look like you've just been dumped by your girlfriend." An older, familiar looking man says to me._

"…_Is it really that obvious?"_

"_I've lived a long life, so I shouldn't have to second guess, you know what I mean? Besides, what other reason would a kid like you be in a Pub like this anyway?"_

"…_I don't know."_

"_Tell me son, what's on your mind?"_

"_Sorry, it's a long story."_

"_Well." The stranger put his finger up and ordered a few rounds of drinks for he and I. "Drink?"_

_I sighed. "…I guess." _

"_I'm Ralph, Ralph Odine."_

"_Oh…" Then I remembered his face, I knew he looked familiar, "Mr. Odine, head of the Criminal Justice staff in Esthar, right?"_

"_Yep. You really do know your news."_

"…_Yeah."_

"_Alright, what's bothering you? We're here till the end of the night, which means, we've got all the time in the world." He said with a smile._

A dream? Or was it for real? I don't remember anything that happened; why can't I remember? Was the experience so extreme that I have…blocked it from my memory? …No, no, I could never do something like that. It's ridiculous!

I sat up and opened my eyes. I don't know how long it has been since I climbed this tree, but when I opened my eyes, darkness greeted them. I sat in my new safe haven and outstretched my arms while yawning.

Because of its width, I was able to fit most of my body onto a single branch. No, I wasn't comfortable, but I did manage to get a good rest. The truth is, I don't remember when I actually fell asleep.

"…Geez, my leg's gone numb." Of course it's numb, its been hanging in mid air for who knows how long. I should really get down now, but then again, I really don't want to. It's taking my eyes quite awhile to adjust to the darkness, so maybe I should wait just a few moments anyway.

"…Another life, lost." I heard someone say from the darkness beneath me. When I looked down and scanned the area, I saw Rinoa walking alone in the dark. What is she doing out here by herself? "What was he thinking?"

"Rinoa." I said while climbing down. I certainly don't want to have her thinking that I'm dead, that's what my family thinks of me already. The little hope she has might be crushed even more if there's more pain on her heart, but…would she even think of me that way?

"Squall? Is that you?" She said while looking around herself. Maybe she thought I was on land somewhere.

"Yeah. Over here." I said, not wanting to shout, otherwise a T-Rex might hear us. She turned around and smiled when she saw me. I was trying to rub my hands together to remove the tree crusts that stuck to them from climbing down.

"Squall!" She said while running to me. I was surprised when she practically jumped on me. "Thank god you're alive! I didn't know what happened to you after you told me to run." She said and pulled away from me.

"Well, I'm fine now."

"Obviously. Where did you go, how did you escape it?" How did I escape it? Does she really want to know?

I pointed to the tree behind myself and smirked, "That tree saved my life."

"The tree?" She looked at the tree and began walking toward it. "Are you serious?"

"As serious as trying to stay alive."

She laughed and shook her head, "Help me up, I want to see your hideout."

"Oh. …Okay." I walked to the tree and knelt down before her, and put my hands out so she could step on them. When she did so, I boosted her up from the ground and she grabbed hold of the tree branch. She climbed on the tree and pulled her body up quickly. I stood at the bottom and watched her go. It sure is taking her awhile to get up there…and it took me about two seconds to climb this tall tree. I guess I was _terrified_ in the chase…

"Hey, what are you waiting for?" She called from the top, and I looked around at our surroundings as if searching for the other person she might have been talking to. "Come on, Squall. Get up here quickly, you don't know what's down there this instant."

"…Right." I said unsurely and began to climb. By the time I made it to the top with her, she was staring away in her own world. I took a seat on the opposite branch from her on the other side of the tree, which was a little lower in height than where she sat.

"For as long as I've been here, I never thought once about climbing into a tree for safety."

"Not once?"

"It never occurred to me to look up here. This is the first tree I've seen that's climbable."

"Perhaps you weren't looking hard enough?"

"Maybe."

Rinoa probably became scared and took comfort in the fact that there are others going through this the same way. That could be it, or maybe…just maybe, she never saw any trees because the people she's relying on wouldn't let her seek higher ground. I have already heard the way they were talking to her today…I wanted to say something, but then…it's really not my place, isn't it?

"That was some chase we had today, eh?" She said, and I could tell that she was smiling.

"Yep." …It really was something. I was never so sure in my life that I would die. I sighed, "…Will _every _day be this way?"

"…Pretty much." She huskily said with a sigh of her own, and we both stood quiet for a few moments after that. I think I'm beginning to warm up to idea that death is the only option. "…Squall?"

"…Yeah?"

"…What were you…before all this? Who were you? I mean, I've never heard anything about you or ever seen you before in my life."

"…Well…" I realize now, I haven't actually talked to any of these people. We all only know one another by name. "…Not many people know me. I was an editor at Timber Maniacs."

"Timber Maniacs?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't that the political magazine?"

"There are other worldly related articles, but yeah, we mostly have political articles inside."

"Wow, that's pretty interesting."

"…On the surface."

"You didn't like it?"

I groaned, "It was an okay job, I guess." Okay? No, I hated it. All I wanted was to be able to travel and write about things that were more than business and politics. Growing up, I never tired of the stories my dad told my sister and me about his traveling adventures. Ellone used to always say she wanted to travel the world, but eventually she grew out of her fantasy and accepted living in the real world. "As an editor, I had to read through tons of stuff, which was mostly crap by the way…and edit each sheet of paper. I had to point out what was useful information, and what was too much for the public to know; unfortunately, most of the things my co-workers wrote about went against Esthar's main principles." …How much I hate Esthar right about now…

"That sounds like fun. You get to know _more _than _other _people about what goes on behind the scenes then?"

"You could put it that way, yes." I looked at the sky above, but most of the trees blocked my view.

"Then you must know all about me?"

I closed my eyes and sighed, "…Just a little."

She laughed, "Tell me about myself. I want to know how I am from the public's opinion."

"Um…" I really have to dig deep for the articles that were turned in pertaining to Rinoa. The only one I can recall is of her father. "…I'm not too sure, but I think I only edited the articles about your father."

"Oh really?" I heard her voice become louder; she must have been facing me from her side of the tree. "Do tell."

"…Caraway." I opened my eyes and looked down into my hands, "…I read in a report that you died by mastication of the T-Rexuars. Apparently, Caraway found out about it too…and he had been trying to help fight off this sentencing for everyone else." I leaned my head back against the tree while folding my arms. "…He managed a research base holding info about _this_ continent, labeling it F.E.A.R., in other words fear. The acronym stood for the Forest of Esthar's Atrocious Reptiles. Unfortunately, Esthar got a hold of his base before anymore serious data was learned."

"…You're awfully well informed."

"…I…uh…took a special interest in this case." I said nervously. It was because she was the first woman sentenced to death…that's why I became obsessed with the article.

"Well I'm surprised you learned that much. I wonder how they got a hold of all that information. That man has never told _anyone_ what was on his mind."

"Is that so? Wasn't he a dedicated businessman? …He probably had to fully explain himself to others in order to get his point across."

"…Even the best businessmen have their share of secrets."

"Secrets? …Anything to do with you being here?"

"…Weren't you the editor for the magazine, shouldn't you already know?"

If she could see me, I would have only shrugged my shoulders. "…I skimmed through most of it the article."

"…Just as I thought, my father's as boring as paint drying."

I found myself laughing a little with her as we sat in that tall tree. After a bit, she became quiet. Maybe she was thinking about her father? I don't know…

- - - - - - - - -

From up here, everything looks dark and green. This forest is covered with uneven earth and thick trees. I only wonder what it would look like up here in the morning.

I did manage to see that this place is near the mountain range. I guess I'm closer to the place Fujin took a look around from before. She said the place is flooded with T-Rexuars…I wonder why? How in the world did an animal so hideous ever come about? Odine had to have been a very bitter man in order to suggest such a punishment like this. No one in his or her right mind would put another human being through this much hardship.

Looking down at the forest, I wonder what could possibly await me tomorrow. Will I even survive another day?

I know Rinoa has a plan to escape…I wonder what she's pulled together. It seems like the others have all given up trying…their hopeless. I don't want to become like they are. I _can't_ die here.

"Huh?" I hear something farther away. When I looked around the area, over near the mountain range…there's a figure. I can't really tell what it is…or…who? I don't want to call out to them because it might be danger, and I've learned my lesson about calling out to people when there is something lurking near by.

My eyes begin to adjust to the far away distance, and I can tell that it's a person, but in an instant, it vanishes.

"What the…?"

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**Hey guys, I'm having a great time writing. Let me know what you think of this story so far. I hope you had a great read. Thanks!**

**_StardustRay_**


	5. Of Enemies and Allies

_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

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_Chapter 4: Of Enemies and Allies_

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After seeing whatever that dark figure was last night, I couldn't get much sleep. I called out to Rinoa a few times, but she hadn't answered. She might have fallen asleep in the tree like I did earlier today. All the while, I still wonder about whatever it was I saw… 

- - - - -

As the sun rises, I begin to smell the early morning dew from all these trees around. For a slight moment, I allow myself to relax before another day of fighting for survival begins. Of course, she and I are still in the tree, but I heard Rinoa shutter a few times just a moment ago. Maybe she's about to awaken?

I stood on the walnut-colored tree branch and grabbed hold of a tinier branch just above me. Though the sun is appearing now, I still can't see so far before myself. But I am sure that I saw movement down there last night.

I decided to climb a bit higher just to get a better view; maybe I'll be able to see over the entire forest…just maybe.

I climbed up the tree, the higher I climb, the slimier it becomes. The dampness from the weird weather is probably the cause of all the messy buildup on the tree, and also because no one has ever climbed so high before, each branch grows weaker with its height. I know now without a doubt that this tree isn't used to holding so much weight, especially at its peak.

When I reached the top, I moved a leafy branch from my view in order to see the vastness of the forest.

"…Wow." I whispered into the morning air. To my surprise…I realize just how huge this place really is. There are so many places we haven't gone to yet, and I'm sure Rinoa and the others haven't had the chance to go out sight seeing. Finally, the sunlight unfolds and shines onto the greenish leaves of many trees embedding the rough soil. From here, I see that the mountains have barricaded us inside this hellhole, but there seem to be at least four points of entry.

The shorelines…I really wonder about those. Fujin's story about those men has somewhat…interested me.

"Squall!" I hear Rinoa call me from below.

"I'm up here!"

"Oh, okay! I'm coming up!" She called out and I heard the rustling sounds of leaves smashing together. She joined me at the top and looked at the view from her side of the tree. "Wow…everything looks totally different from up here."

"Yeah. It's breathtaking.

"…And life taking…" She sighed, "…Thanks for showing me this place. I haven't gone to sleep in a long time."

"You're welcome." I guess when you're running from vicious reptiles for everyday, who has time to sleep? "Hey, Rinoa…?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you come up with some way of escape?"

"…Not really. My only objective is not to die here."

"I see." We stayed silent for a few moments before I heard her gasp aloud. "What is it?" I asked while looking over at her, which was pretty hard to do, seeing that the bark of the large tree took up a considerable amount of space between the two of us.

"The shorelines!"

"What about them?"

"…Each time they ship more of us here, they go to a different shoreline. I realized that when I remembered where I found you. Seifer and I arrived on the other wing of this continent. We had run a very long way for survival. Hmm…why are they switching up docking points?"

Maybe the pilot gets bored…?

"I don't know." I answered while taking a heavy breath.

"…These pieces are still scattered…but…I need to find out more about this forest. There's got to be something here that can get us off in time. I'll need to remember this place for later times… This tree serves as a nice view."

"I agree."

"Well." She said as I heard her climb down to the bottom. I followed her and ensured I had taken the right steps on the branches to avoid crashing into the ground.

I jumped down the rest and landed flat on my feet, the stinging from landing so hard had tingled my legs. "Oww." I said while brushing the dirt from my pants.

"There you are!" I heard Seifer shout at Rinoa, she looked back at him quizzically. "Everyone's out looking for you, Rinoa! Why is this continuing to happen?" He said while pacing toward us.

Rinoa put her hands on her hips, "You don't have to worry about me Seifer. I can take care of myself. Anyway, Squall was here with me and he showed me the view from this tree. I'm confident that we can find something to-"

"Arrgh!" Seifer groaned and charged at me. Before I knew it, he punched me hard in the face and I fell back onto the ground. "Who do you think you are filling her head up with those stupid ideas?"

"Seifer!" She yelled at him. Now my face was stinging, and I held the side of my cheek to soothe it a little. I'm pretty sure it's turning red now, and maybe even swelling. It feels like I was hit with a brick!

"Let's go, Rinoa!"

"No way am I going with you!" She said as she knelt down beside me, "I can't believe you just hit him! For _what_!"

"He can take care of himself, now let's go."

"I _said_ I'm not going with you. Leave us alone!"

Seifer gave an aggravated sigh and stomped off into the neck of the woods. I watched him go away, and I glared…I don't know why I couldn't fight back.

"Squall, I'm sorry…"

"You don't have to apologize because of his actions."

She sighed and touched my cheek, "Does it still hurt?"

Does she really need to ask? "Yeah." I answered, "I'll be alright." Rinoa smiled and stood up while looking around.

"I don't know what his problem is…" She folded her arms and sneered at the trail of footsteps he left into the moist ground as he had walked away from us. "…But anyway, we have to get something to eat."

"Food?"

"Yeah…we're lucky there are a few wild berry bushes scattered throughout these forests. Without them, we'd have nothing…we would just die of starvation; that is, if we don't get killed by the T-Rex first." She chuckled, and I just had to smile because of her humor. Smiling turned out to be the worst thing ever; it hurts just to have my mouth form any type of expression.

I placed my hand on my cheek while standing, trying not to draw any more attention to wound.

"So, where are those bushes?" Funny I had asked that question so confidently… I hadn't even begun to think of all things; we were in for a _long_ journey.

* * *

When she said wild berry bushes, I'm thinking maybe a little place like the haven I came across yesterday. Little did I know that things would become a bit trickier. 

We had walked to a familiar area Rinoa dubbed as the Dead Zone before. I could swear I saw the same dirty bones on the ground also, but I dared not to look into the face of death once again. I followed behind some feet away just staring and taking in our surroundings.

It was already murky, and dampening with our every steps. I looked up and saw that grey clouds had gathered in the skies above, it would rain soon. Rinoa looked around as we cut through and across tree after tree just to find a place to gather some food for ourselves. I can't believe she's survived on berries alone. Wild berries were known as Devil's food back at home. Anyone could tell a kid not to pick a berry from some domestic tree near by because the berry might have been poisonous.

Now…here we are…about to devour berries that could be field with germs and parasites. I feel my stomach ready to explode at the thought of it all.

Rinoa stepped into a muddy mess of dirt yet ignored the bottom of her boot, as it had already begun its own collection of mud from different sectors of the forest.

Up ahead, I saw that the trees had oddly grown on either side of us and seemed to form a pathway. Beside our path, I could see the same shoreline I arrived on from the vessel. Only so far, too many trees blocked the view of the sea…how I desperately wanted to see the outside light once again.

"A little further." She said as she began to trudge uphill. This ground tends to go up and down a lot. It's not what I expected from a forest, but I'm thankful I was able to injure a T-Rexuar using its crazy hills…

"Rinoa, tell me…what exactly did you _do_ to get _here_?"

She laughed as she walked, "Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah, I'm curious."

"Arson…"

"…An Arsonist?" How could she…? …Oh yeah, now I remember… There was a huge fire a while ago, which caused great damage to the home of a businessman named Deling. The fire was pretty bad, but no one was hurt. Back then the police hadn't a clue as to who or why someone could have pulled a stunt like that, and Rinoa wasn't connected to the case. This mystery fire was filed as a separate report. It was years later when they actually found out that Rinoa had caused of the explosion.

"That's right. Someone double crossed my dad…" She looked over her shoulder at me and smirked, "…and I had to handle him."

"So you burned the guy's house down?"

"Yeah, to ensure that all the documents were torched." Rinoa faced forward and whispered, "Besides, I made sure no one was home. I had a crew to stakeout the house before any moves were made."

I repeated to myself the words that stuck with me, "…You burned the guy's house down…"

"Catch up, we're almost there!" She called out, and I decided to walk a little faster to be sure she wouldn't leave me behind.

* * *

Shrubs and other thick bushes began to appear on the outskirts of the forest. As we neared each of the bushes, I saw that the mountainside made itself visible behind the greenish vines that clung to its walls. These bushes consisted of a variety of olive colored berries that seemed be a bit waxy. 

"Here we are. Be sure you peel off the think layer before you eat. And try not to eat too many, or you'll make yourself sick."

"Are these things really edible?"

"Is there anything _else_ to eat around here?" She asked while smirking.

I sighed in defeat. I knew for a fact that she was right. "…Thanks." I said and approached the berry bushes. It was a good thing spikes weren't growing from these bushes; otherwise, I'd have quickly thrown down that evil waxberry and slain a T-Rex for my breakfast instead!

I carefully picked a single berry from the bush and pricked up its peel to skin the berry down to its core. When I looked over at Rinoa, I saw how easily she pushed in her fingernail into its waxy layer and abraded the peel instantly: an experienced professional, indeed. She placed the berry into her mouth and chewed ravenously. She must have been starving as well.

I shrugged my shoulders and did the same to my waxberry, but nothing prepared me for its horrible flavor. Most of the berries I like are either tangy or sweet, but this waxberry was as dull as Odine making a public appearance. "?" Odine….

When I thought about Odine, I almost choked on the berry that was in my mouth.

"Hey, didn't I tell you to take your time!" Rinoa said while looking at me blankly. I coughed and spit the chewed piece of fruit from my mouth. I held my throat and coughed up any remnants that might have been inside.

"It's not the greatest thing in the world, but its still food, Squall." She had begun tapping her foot.

"…It's not the berry!"

"…What do you mean? You actually _like_ these things?" Rinoa scratched her head quizzically. I'm confused now, wasn't she just elevating its significance? I thought for sure that maybe she had taking a liking of the waxberries by now.

"No! Its just…Odine!"

"Odine…?" I heard her speak in a lowered voice, and she stared at the ground. "Grr…" She sounded as if she had begun mumbling something under her breath.

"Rinoa?"

"He's the one who's responsible for this… _He_ placed us here!" Just as she shouted, the clouds that had turned grey moments ago, had now released their tears onto us. The rains came upon us instantly and heavily. The loudness of the rainfall caused us to have to shout in order to hear one another speaking.

Rinoa folded her arms and closed her eyes as the rain began to soak her hair. I looked up in the leaves of the trees from above and saw the peacefulness of the rainfall falling gracefully toward us. "…Why would you bring up _his_ name at a time like _this_!" She yelled, and I looked down from the sky with a shrug of my shoulders. "That name should never be mentioned again, do you understand!"

"…Rinoa, there's nothing you can do about him now!"

"Says who? When I get out of here-" She made her hands into fists and shook them violently.

"That won't be necessary!" I walked over to her and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"…What are you trying to say! You think we won't be able to get out of here, don't you!"

"No! It's nothing like _that_!" I said and wiped the downpour of rain from my face. It had begun to rain even harder in the forest, but we stood as if it hadn't affected either of us. "Odine…he's…he's already dead!"

"What! You're joking!" I shook my head from side to side without making a single face that would make her think otherwise, and I looked into her eyes. "But, how…? When!"

I took a deep breath as I prepared an answer even _I_ was not certain of. "…Because I…I…"

"Rinoa! Rinoa!" We both turned our heads to the voice, and saw Fujin limping toward us from afar.

"Fujin!" Rinoa shouted as she ran toward the limping woman. Fujin fell down into the mud exhaustedly without making another sound. "Fujin!"

* * *

**Hello everyone.**

**Back on task again! Sorry it took so long, but I had other things to do. I hope I didn't lose anyone's interest with that long break. Anyway, now that my other story's finished, I'll have more time to work on this one. Isn't that sweet! **

**lol Ittomomen, thanks for the 13th review! lol **

**_Okay! _**

**_StardustRay_ **


	6. Gloom

_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

* * *

_Chapter 5: Gloom_

* * *

Rinoa ran toward Fujin and sat on her knees. She raised Fujin from the ground a little and placed the woman's upper body into her lap. "Fujin, are you okay?" 

"Rinoa…" I heard Fujin speak as I approached the two of them. When I looked down at Fujin, her face was a bloody mess. I wasn't sure, but it seemed as though Fujin's left eye was punctured, and blood gushed down her face. The rain had washed most of it down, but its thickness caused Rinoa and me to seek out a way to stop the bleeding.

Without any hesitation, I pulled on the torn sleeve of my shirt and ripped off enough to wipe the blood that was flowing from her wounded eye. Rinoa looked at me with sadden eyes and sighed, "We have to get her out of here." I nodded and pulled Fujin from the ground.

We ran through the forest, Rinoa before me, and Fujin in my arms. She was only unconscious now, but we both were unsure if she might have been dying during the midst of our run. Rinoa had expertly navigated through the forest, until we were out of the Dead Zone.

The three of us were now safely hiding away in some thorn bushes that seemed to protect us all around. Rinoa and I had both caught our breaths after the long hard run.

Because of the blaring rainstorm, I'm sure the T-Rexuars will have a difficult time detecting us.

After a few moments, Fujin had opened her healthy right eye and gave a loud moan. Rinoa took her hand and allowed the woman to squeeze onto it tightly. "Fujin…what…what happened?"

Fujin looked at Rinoa and sighed, "It was…" The pain Fujin felt, I don't imagine ever seeing anyone struggling like she is now. "It was…hell."

What Fujin later told Rinoa and me…? **_

* * *

_**

**_: Fujin's Perspective:_**

* * *

"Okay, so is everyone done? Too many bodies in one area tends to-"

"Incoming T-Rex! Run!" Raijin yelling as he ran toward us, and the screeching roar from afar, had cut off Seifer's words. What he wanted to say was: Too many bodies in one area tend to lure T-Rexuars in.

"Wha-?" All of us said together.

"No!" Zell yelled and ran off, he practically left us all behind, but I couldn't blame him. We separated and headed our own ways. I ran to my far right and managed to escape the T-Rexuar, but I saw that the others were still running forward in a poor attempt to escape. Amateurs…T-Rexuars only go after the slowest prey, and those whose moves are easiest to predict, are the first to go.

Seeing that the beast completely turned off from my trail, I went out to locate the others who had also gotten out of harm's way.

"Fujin!" Raijin yelled as he smashed the grassy stones and rocks underneath his shoes. "Good, you're okay."

"Yeah, but have you seen Zell?"

"What are you worried about that idiot for? He's a coward, and you know cowards scramble fast."

"That's not cool at all, Raijin. Not everyone's as crazy as you." Zell said from behind Raijin and me, and I turned around to assure him that we got the message. "Besides, you're the one who came running out of nowhere like a frickin idiot!"

"Why you-"

"Hey, easy you two!" I said to calm to the two runts down; at least… that's how they were behaving… "I wonder what happened to Rinoa and the other two?"

"Most likely…lunch." Raijin said with a smirk.

"Don't say that! Although, I know it's pointless to get my hopes up about their survival."

"Why do you guys even bother thinking about them if you aren't really concerned for their safety?" Zell argued, but Raijin sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

I looked at Zell and smiled, "You don't get it just yet…but you will soon enough."

He folded his arms and curled up his lips while mumbling, "I'm tired of everyone treating me like a kid…"

- - -

Before nightfall, we saw Seifer walking around as if searching for something or someone. It seemed that neither Rinoa nor Squall were in his sight, perhaps they were whom he might have been searching for?

"Seifer, where is everyone?" I said as I approached him in the dark.

"It's Rinoa. I can't find her anywhere…"

"When did you last see her?"

"She went looking for that other guy about an hour ago…and hasn't been back since."

"…What do you think?" I asked, but he sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"She's insane. Who in their right mind would go out looking for someone else at this time of night?"

"…Aren't _you _searching for her right now?" I teased him a bit, but he looked at me angrily, but he completely ignored my tease.

"If you see her, tell her to stay sharp, and that I'm-"

"That you're looking for her, right?" Zell and I both said to Seifer. He glared at Zell, causing Zell to gulp and stare down at the ground.

"Listen, you guys just get out of here! _Alright_?" Seifer yelled at us, and I turned away with a smile. If there is anything that's satisfying about this place, its irking Seifer's nerves for fun.

"Okay, okay. Relax!" I spoke up so he'd hear me, and the three of us found a spot to rest for a little while in the night.

I sat down on the soft ground and rested against the likes of a crumbly old tree. Raijin had done the same, but Zell sat against a large boulder and folded his legs while rocking back and forth.

"Zell?" I called out to him, but it took him a few moments to look up.

"Huh!" He responded quickly. I was tempted to just leave him alone.

"Sorry."

"Hey, Zell." Raijin said to him instead. "How in the heck did you wind up here? You're too chicken for this place, ya know?"

"…I am not a chicken. I just don't think I need to be here." Zell said while shivering, and never giving either of us eye contact. The chill was actually a bit cooler at night than it had been during the day. Watching Zell shiver made me feel cold too.

"I agree, I don't think you should be here, Zell." I said sweetly, but laughed aloud with Raijin.

"Laugh if you want, I know my rights!" Zell sighed, "…All I wanted was some food! That was it! I never set out to kill anyone!"

Raijin smirked, "Accidents happen, eh?"

"Frickin' hell they do! I was hungry and hadn't eaten in days. Anything can happen when you're not feeling like your normal self!"

"…Zell, what happened exactly? I mean, how'd a teenager like you get a sentence like _this_?"I asked sincerely.

"…I'm not any ordinary teen you see just walking around purposely looking for something to destroy." He coughed a little and cleared his throat. "I was an orphan, and had gotten adopted at the age of six, but then two years later my new mom died in a train accident. After that, it was back to the orphanage in Balamb for me, and I had to stay there until I was seventeen or adopted. Just a few weeks after my seventeenth birthday, they released me. I met this guy who told me about all the opportunities he and others around my age had, and so I took on his offer. I was like an errand boy or something. All I had to do was deliver little cases of stuff filled with something… I never looked inside to see what it was for myself."

He sighed and continued on and saw Raijin getting bored, "I did what I was told to do. I made a living doing this stuff too…but…I guess because I made so much gil from them, that it was time to cut me loose. Now they were trying to kill me, and it was time for me to keep a little companion for serious times: a gun.

Raijin immediately chuckled, "Uh oh, it's the damned Gun of Destruction!" I laughed with him, but Zell saw no humor from his joke.

"Shut up, what do you know!" Zell snapped angrily. "It's because of _that _stupid thing that I'm here now!" He looked at the ground, "I had hidden myself in the streets of Deling City from all those who plagued me. I was starving and out of gil, too. The only thing that looked promising was the hotdog vender, but the guy who ran it was a stupid jerk! He always made it hard for everyone who wanted a bite to eat. He once snatched a hotdog back from a woman who was short by just _one_ gil!" Zell sighed and looked at me, finally. "…I didn't realize how angry I was until…until…"

"Until what, Zell?" I asked.

"…Until I walked over to him. I didn't know how sensitive the trigger to that gun would be. I didn't think it would actually fire." He cringed himself into a ball on the ground and trembled in the darkness while mumbling, "…I killed him." He had begun whimpering and I rose from my bottom comfortable seat in the dirt to walk over and comfort him. Zell is too young for a sentencing so grand. I wondered why the jury hadn't gone lightly on him since he's basically a juvenile.

He continued to sniffle as I held onto him, and soon, he had cried himself to sleep.

- - - -

After Zell fell asleep, Raijin and me were up wide-awake. Even before we came here, he and I were insomniacs, so staying awake isn't a problem to us.

We agreed to keep lookout for one another in case either of us _just happened_ to fall asleep, something we both knew was incredibly _impossible_.

It was a good thing we hadn't gone to sleep because deep within the night, I heard leaves moving about, and I felt the ground trembling ever so lightly.

Because I don't like to take my chances, I decided that Zell had to get up if he wanted to continue to live.

I stood from my spot and walked over to Zell and whispered, "Hey…get up." But it failed, and the he didn't move. I kicked his leg just so he'd wake up seeing that the whispering failed terribly.

He rubbed his eyes and then forced himself to look up at me, "A T-Rex is on its way and its hungry. You've been warned, now move."

Zell finally stood up and looked around. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see passed a few feet of myself; so I knew Zell wouldn't be able to see anything because his eyes were still asleep.

"Let's move." I said and we all ran in the opposite direction of the T-Rex's movements. I heard the footsteps of Raijin and Zell running before me, scuffling through the forest to seek safety. "Guys, be careful and hurry up!" I said as I realized there was total silence in the forest: definitely _not_ a good sign.

I stopped running and looked around to scan my area. The smell of dampened trees was enough to make my nose ache from its terrible stench. It was muddier and sloppier than ever before, which made everything smell like rotting wood. Still I made sure to keep myself real quiet while standing in one spot; just to be sure I was not detected by any of the T-Rexuars.

Because of the silence in the air, I had a deepening feeling that I was being watched, by who or what, I had no clue. But the feeling was beginning to sicken me, and I just had to look around myself once again. I found nothing at all, and had continued on my way by walking instead. The silence, the smell, everything was slowly eating away at me, and I felt the urge to sneeze. I couldn't sneeze in the middle of a run; doing so would blow what little cover I already obtained.

I took another step and held my nose with my hand to ensure that nothing would release, but, "…A…A-choo!"

Suddenly, I heard a loud shriek just as soon as I sneezed, and a T-Rexaur came charging out from the bushes and after me.

"Whoa!" I yelled and took off running. The muddiness was causing me difficulty in my run, and I felt myself losing balance with every swift turn I made. It screamed from behind me. I looked back and saw it jump to close our distance, but when I faced forward again, another T-Rex had purposely whacked me with its tail, to the ground; another of their tricky attacks. "Aaaah!" I screamed as I was flung into the hardness of a tree. I felt my back crackle when my body fell motionlessly to the ground.

"No!" A voice of what sounded like Zell yelled out, and the T-Rexaur immediately looked up at him. Without resisting for one second, the T-Rex lunged toward Zell, and I heard him quickly running away to escape. He screamed, but the ranting heaves of the beast's breath and screams had tuned him out entirely.

Against the tree, I had closed my eyes as I heard Zell running for his life, but there were another set of feet I could hear, approaching from behind. "…No." I whispered, and used all my might to slide away from the tree. The beast was taking soft steps as it crept through the forest in search of me. I realize now how incredibly intelligent they actually are.

I was able to crawl backward on the ground to get away from him, it wasn't a quick escape, but it was better than doing nothing. I used my hands and gripped the ground behind me to pull my body farther. I could feel the cool grass and mud underneath my fingertips. The more I moved my body, the more I grew tired.

I pushed back as far as I could, and let myself fall back into the muddy grass. "...I can't quit…no…." I said, and was able to turn over in the mud to attempt crawling on my knees. But as I turned over, that too had become a problem. I didn't have enough strength to boost my body from my knees and resulted in me struggling to do anything on the ground.

"Aaaaaagh!" I heard Zell release what may have been his death cry from some place in the forest. Zell…

I sighed and let my head drop into the mud. Zell was so young…and judging from his story, he wasn't in his right mind when he committed murder. The kid deserved better…

"Zell." I whispered and turned my head to rest on the right side of my face. Suddenly, I heard the T-Rex approaching from behind me and stepping closer. Somehow, it stepped to the left of my feet, then to the right of my thigh, to the left of my torso, and finally…it stepped beside my face and I suddenly felt a sharp pain to my eye when its toenail pierced my pupil. I flinched slightly, as much as it hurt like hell; I had to hold it in.

Within a matter of minutes, the beast abandoned me on the ground. When I was sure it was a far away distance, I moved my hand to my face. I screamed as I covered my throbbing eye. I screamed for about an hour or so.

That stupid beast has blinded me! And it hurts like hell to just sit around and talk about it!

I screamed so loud that I passed out in a matter of seconds….

The trickling of the rain is what forced me to get up. I had been walking, well limping around ever since...

* * *

"That's when I looked up and saw you two." Fujin said to us as Rinoa wiped the piece of cloth across her cheek. "…I don't know what's happened to the others…I don't even know where to begin to look for them." 

"Fujin, you have to rest." Rinoa said and placed the clothe over her wounded eye.

"No way. I can't stand being a sore thumb to anyone. What makes you think I'm gonna sit and attract T-Rexaurs here to you two? You _know_ those things love the smell of blood!."

"I'm well aware of that."

"What Seifer said before is absolutely true. More bodies together creates a delicious aroma to the T-Rex. They can easily sense us, especially because _I'm_ wounded."

"It's raining now, so you don't have to worry. The rain damages their sense of smell."

"But Rain is only temporary."

Rinoa sighed and nodded her slowly, "That's true also. So you'll stay until the rain stops?"

"Yes. Besides, you two were doing fine together, right?"

Not exactly…we were just about to kill ourselves with all the walking.

"We're okay, but I can't exactly say that everything is just fine." Rinoa answered while looking from Fujin to me with a hint of anger in her tone. Had my comment about Odine really upset her so?

"Rinoa, you stay with her. I'm going to gather more fruit for us." I said and prepared to exit the bush.

"Wait Squall, what are you talking about?" She asked me quickly.

"You said those things lack their divine sense of smell because of the rainwater, right?"

"Yes, but still…"

"Don't worry." I looked down at Fujin and saw the blood soaked clothe over her eye and I sighed. "…Hang in there."

"I'll be okay… Be sure you're careful out there, yourself."

"I will." I said as I emerged from the bush.

"Squall…" I heard Rinoa say, but Fujin giggled.

"Relax, he's a man for crying out loud Rinoa. Let him learn the ropes for himself." Rinoa sighed with nothing more. I took one more look at the bush where Rinoa and Fujin hid in between, and I smirked.

She's been worrying about me enough…I said before that I didn't want to slow her down. But now that I'm walking by myself…I'm starting to feel a bit insecure.

* * *

**_From Moi:_**

* * *

**Woo! (In case you guys haven't noticed, this author is seriously goofy...so...expect to see lots of "lols" in these tag-a-long-at-the-bottom-of-the-screen-thingies...you've been warned!) haha. **

**Ittan Momen – Sorry about the typo last time, I just wanted to be sure your SN was spelled right _this_ time. It was at about 3am when I uploaded the document in…and I just wrote… -lowers head in shame-**

**Well everything's moving right along. Everyone please let me know what you think about this story! Am I lacking anything? **

**Oh yeah, I've given it a _bit _more detail. (kinda) …I don't want anyone to feel lost. And because I tend to forget words sometimes (I usually talk as I type, so sometimes I might say a word aloud and not actually type it in, isn't that bad? lol ) it might confuse people even more…**

**_Thank you…_**

**_Jen_- Quistis…hmm…I can't abandon other characters…but…we'll see about her in the future! And yeah, this _is_ a hellhole! lol –rubs hands together and snickers—**

**_Sylin_- I'll keep it up, don't worry! **

**_Skyedream-_ Thank you so much! **

**_Lady-Rinoa_- Yeah, and I'm trying to avoid making it become an incredibly hopeless situation lol. I don't want it to be too angsty… Don't worry, I trust myself a little more now…I can't disappoint anyone!**

**_Yuleen-_ I'm writing, I'm writing! lol.**

**_Ittan Momen_- Of course, Rinoa is opening up more and more! Don't worry because she's not going to change. I always saw (even when playing through ff8 as an amateur) that Rinoa could be a real bad A—she smiles innocently, but secretly packs a punch. So I thought I'd take and keep that side of her! I love how sneaky she can be, lol. **

**Well anyway, I'm having fun with my summer thriller! I just can't wait till I can sit back and read through it for myself. (Nope, I don't actually read what I write until its done…sure I might read over it, but…I don't pay attention to it, lol)**

**See, haven't I warned you already? hehe**

**_StardustRay_**


	7. Mixed Feelings

_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

* * *

_Chapter 6: Mixed Feelings_

* * *

The forest became somewhat peaceful as the rainfall persisted. When I closed my eyes and listened to all the trickling sounds around, I almost forgot about my troubles; being alone in the rain now has somehow mollified me. The gentleness of drizzling rain reminds me of a time with Selphie…one rainy morning when my life was…anything but this… 

_Six thirty in the morning, my alarm clock rang loud enough to explode my eardrums. I cringed at its dreadful sound and curled like an infant in my blanket. My sleep was too peaceful for an interruption by the ring tone of that stupidly annoying clock. Then, like an angel sent from heaven, she reached over me and silenced the impish ringing, which I could have easily turned over and ceased for myself had I not shriveled within my comforter. _

_As she pulled her arm back, she rested her face against my arm, "Sweetie, you have to get up. Your boss' meeting is today."_

_I turned over and faced the clock on the dresser while muttering a few foreign words unrelated to any language on earth, and I heard her giggle against my back. She embraced me from behind as I dug my head underneath my pillow with a mellow sigh. _

"_Come on, Squall. You'll get angry with yourself later on if you miss this meeting. You told me you wanted to get up early enough to beat the other guys in the office just to impress your dad, right?"_

_I groaned underneath my pillow. Who told her she had to be so informative? Why does she always have to remember everything I tell her from days and centuries ago? And she continued, _

"_Okay then. You've forced me to get the ice-cold water-" Immediately, I pushed myself from the bed, and she laughed as my pillow slid from my head and down to my back. She laughed out loud and tried to cover her mouth, as she spoke, "Works every time, doesn't it?" _

_I squinted my eyes and gave her a mean glare, "That is an evil way to get a person out of bed."_

"_Oh whatever, you completely exaggerated everything that happened that morning! I didn't even put ice in that cup of water!"_

"_You don't know what it felt like! You've never had someone splash you with cold water while you were sleeping!"_

"_That's right, and I don't intend to."_

_I looked away and mumbled, "One of these days."_

"_No!" She squealed, "You better not!" When I faced her with a grimly smirk, she stopped all movements and silenced her breathing, "…Squall…come on. Please don't do this to me…"_

"_Oh but I will, and I'll enjoy every second of it too." I quickly grabbed the pillow from my back and threw it at her face. _

"_Squall!" She yelled while grabbing her own pillow for defense. _

"_Selphie!" I mimicked her cry, and she laughed again. I watched her brown hair jiggle up and down each time she took a breath just to continue her increasingly high pitch laughing. I couldn't bring myself to do anything else to her. I just wanted to watch her, to be with her. I smiled and she quieted down. When I continued to stare at her, there was silence all around us. And then…the rain poured onto the windowpane. _

_Selphie smiled and bit her lower lip seductively; "…You can tell them you were tardy because the weather was bad…"_

"Selphie…" I groaned and pulled a few berries from the bushes of the mountainside where Rinoa and I had gone before. With all my might I want to forget about that place. I want to forget everything that ever happened to me back there. If I continue to dwell on my past life, how can I possibly survive _this_ misery? When I put it that way, I guess my situation really is hopeless and it doesn't matter what I do, say, or think…because I'm already, "…Dead."

As much as it kills me terribly inside to admit, I miss that woman, but I miss her warmth the most. How could she just bring that guy into our home and…

The mystifying rain poured on, and I lowered my head as it continued to fall softly onto my shoulders. It sent cool streams of water through my hair and went to my forehead. I was lost in its natural essence. Somehow, this place knows how I feel…it understands me… Is it…right to think that way?

I must be losing my mind.

I opened my eyes and continued to gather more waxberries, but soon realized that there weren't anymore to be picked from this area. I looked down into my folded shirt at the so-called stash I had made and sighed, "…Great. Five berries will do us all _just fine_." I said sarcastically with a grin.

Forcing myself to gather more for Rinoa, Fujin, and myself, I decided to stick to the mountainsides. Since most of the waxberry bushes seemed to grow along those walls, I figured I could get the task done quickly and make it back before the sun went down.

It's like the_'mountainside'_ is a large wall that just continues to go up and around, and it surrounds the entire forest. It doesn't really look climbable…probably because I don't have any equipment. If I did…I would get over that wall in a flash. The light brown, walnut colored chunks of rock on the ground are probably remnants of its crumbly walls falling from the top and crashing every so often. When I saw a few bushes growing from the mountainside, I stopped walking. "Back to work." I muttered.

- -

"Finally. This should be enough." I patted my hand on the bottom of my shirt, which I held up by its tail, and had placed the berries inside the core like a bag of some sort. I sighed and looked at the bushes once more, but right beside the bushes was a crack in the mountainside so deep, I had to bend down to examine it closely.

And I stooped down to look inside the crevice, "Hey, what do you think you're doing!" I hear Seifer yell from behind me, and I felt something heavy crash on the back of my head. I released my hand from my shirt and watched as every single waxberry I picked had fallen to the ground. And I reached to back of my head, and felt a stinging moistness in my hair.

I was not surprised to find blood on my hand when I pulled it back, and then I…

"Hmm? Out cold, eh?" I heard him say before everything went black.

- -

When I opened my eyes, I saw the blurriness of objects flashing from left to right within my view. When my vision finally settled and I was able to make out my surroundings, I grabbed the nearest thing I could find and held onto it. I slowly lifted my body from the ground and got to my knees.

"Here sleepyhead, have a fruit." Seifer said as he pitched a waxberry at my back.

"…What did you do that for?" Amazing, the first words from my mouth and I sounded like some kid. I staggered about for a bit as I stood from the ground and faced him. I touched the back of my head and glared at him.

"Where's Rinoa?" He asked me while standing from the ground.

"…She's not with me."

"You bastard! You better tell me where Rinoa is, or else!" He said while trotting toward me with a glare of his own eyes.

"Or else, _what_?" I said while standing up to him. In an instant, I felt better than I had before. There's no way I'm going to allow him to talk to me that way. I put my hand down from my hand and looked into his eyes, "_What_ are you going to do!"

"You little punk!" He spat at me and swung his arm in for a punch, but I ducked and tackled him. I punched him in his mouth a few times and he kicked me off making me fall on the ground into the mud. He rose up quickly and wrapped his arms around my neck trying to choke me. I bit his arm and he let go of me, but kicked me in my back. Ignoring the pain, I got up quickly and jabbed him in his nose. "Aah! Dammit!" He said angrily while grabbing me by the neck and threshing me hard against the walls of the mountainside. I screamed when I made contact with the wall, and fell back on the ground.

He knelt down and put his hand on his chest, breathing heavily, as was I, and we sat in silence.

He started laughing and had looked down at me while continuing to laugh.

* * *

The rain finally settled and now, I was sitting with my back against a tree listening to Seifer as he began talking about his life before this madness. All the while, I still wonder why in the heck is there a giant crevice in that wall… 

"I was the best damn career criminal there ever was-"

"But you got caught." I said and he looked at me while smirking.

"…Guess it was my time." He stood from the ground and rubbed his jaw, a spot where one of my punches had landed during our fight.

"…Why are you so concerned about Rinoa?" I asked and folded my arms.

"…She's the only reason I'm still here. It's my duty to protect her…its what her father wanted."

"Huh?" He really believed in Seifer enough to ask him to watch over his daughter? The guy's a criminal for crying out—oh well…I guess the safety of a criminal is a hell of a lot better than the teeth of a T-Rex…

"Mr. Caraway and my Pop go back a long way. Since Rinoa was sentenced to death around the same time as me, Caraway paid me a visit…and asked me to look after her."

"What crime did she commit? Why was she sentenced to death?"

"Exactly what I want to know. I know she isn't capable of murdering anyone, yet she's playing the part so well. All I know is…something happened when a deal went bad. Sparks flew, and then several days later, Rinoa was under arrest for the murder of three businessmen."

"What!"

"The thing is…Caraway and a few other guys were in the room too. Rumor has it that Caraway shot the guns himself, but Rinoa took the fall for the sake of _his_ career." He looked at the puddles on the ground and sighed, "That's why I'm so over protective of her…she's really the only person who doesn't belong here."

"…Well she is an arsonist too." Maybe a fire went bad and killed a few people…?

"What are you trying to say? …Are _you_ judging _her_?"

"No…I'm just saying-"

"I don't know who you are, and I don't care, but if you ever try to judge someone else, you'd best take a look at yourself. You're here too, and I'm sure there's a good reason for that! Obviously, you ain't perfect either, so deal with it."

What's his problem? "Do you have something against me?" I asked, standing from my seat on the tree root. I'm tired of him. I really am. Ever since day one, there has been strangeness to this guy that just can't trust.

"I don't like your attitude." He said as he stood from his seat as well.

"What attitude! If you have something to say to me-"

"_That_ attitude! Like I said…I don't know _who_ you are, but you've been courting Rinoa ever since you showed up on that damned vessel!"

He was right…that vessel is damned… I may as well not even know who I am either. Look at me; I'm not even sure if I'm innocent or guilty! And of _all_ things---"I'm not _courting _her!"

"I saw you two in that tree last night! Don't even try to lie."

Wait a minute… I thought he showed up this morning… "…It was _you_! You were the person I saw in the dark!" He must've been walking around the mountainside late at night, looking for her. The mountainside…this crevice; the way he's acting like I'm intruding. I wonder what he's up to. "…What are you hiding?"

"Hiding? I've got _nothing_ to hide."

I pointed to the mountainside, "That wall…what's there? You were walking near a place similar to this the night Rinoa and me were in the tree."

"…Get out of here before I have to break Rinoa's heart."

"Break Rinoa's heart?"

"You really have no idea how scared she was when you distracted that T-Rexaur…by the way, I never got a chance to thank you for that."

"Don't mention it." I said while folding my arms and looking at the ground. The rain had stopped, just when I needed another cool down. My face hurts like hell. "Well, I'd be worried about someone that just risked their life for me too."

"You're a fool." Seifer said as he picked up a waxberry. "…The only thing you have to do is grab her hand in a run, but never try to defend her. You'll never win in a fight against the T-Rexaurs."

I looked back at him blankly and sighed, "…Whatever." That's right. Whatever it is inside that crevice can wait a little later to be uncovered. After all, it's not like I'm really going any place else. I turned away from him and headed back to find Rinoa again.

As I walked away, I heard an object being flung to the tree. Like a dart on a dartboard, a small dagger stabbed the tree I walked passed. I looked back and studied it for a moment, "…What the…" I heard Seifer laugh and charge after me. Where in the hell did he get a dagger from! I took off running and soon heard his laughter no more.

If there's anything I have to do, its find Rinoa and tell her about Seifer, but then I wonder…does she know about this too?

* * *

The muddy puddles on the ground are not only dangerous to run in, but with that splashy sound every time I walk, it's a surefire way to attract an angry T-Rexaur. I'm starting to wish it were still raining. 

The way the forest seems to glow fuzzily after the rainfall makes it impossible to find the right back. I'll have to start putting placement holders, like pieces of clothing, around if I don't want to get lost again.

The blurring sour colors of green and brown make it difficult to distinguish a tree from the mud in the far away distance. I ran as fast as I could to get to her, to Rinoa, just wanting to explode with the information from Seifer. There's something that pig isn't telling us, and I want to know. I'm sure Rinoa would want to know too.

"Squall, is that you!" I heard her call from some place in the woody trees, and I stopped running.

"Yeah, Rinoa. Where are you?"

"Over here." I followed the sound of her voice and found her putting her wet hair back into a ponytail. "Fujin left right after it stopped raining. I'm worried about her…" I watched as she seemed to become satisfied with the flow of her hair, and had wiped a few strands behind her ear.

"Fujin seems to have a strong will. I'm sure she'll be okay."

"She didn't seem to look so well when she left." Rinoa said with a sigh, "Her eye…it's…"

"I know…"

"I can't stand it, Squall. I hate those monsters!" She yelled and covered her face in her hands. "…We run and we live, but everyday they pick at us slowly. One by one we're gone, just like that!" She moved her hands and looked me, "…Did you know there were two others with Fujin before you met her yesterday?" I looked at the ground…now that she mentions it…Seifer kept speaking of Fujin as 'they.' I wondered why she was the only one, but then I quickly forgot that there were supposed to be more people.

Rinoa has said before that the few survivors decrease in number daily.

She turned her back and took a deep breath, "…The others…they practically laughed when I vowed I wouldn't die here. They've all grown up and accepted their fate. I guess…it's time for me to do the same."

"No, that's not true. Most of those to laugh at you have already died. They didn't accept their fate…they gave up trying. Rinoa, you're more focused than the rest of these people. I know that you'll stay true to your word…" I approached her and rested my hand on her shoulder. "So they'll try again and again to put you down so that you can suffer along with them."

She slowly faced me with seriousness written all in her eyes, "...How can you be so sure?"

How can I be so sure? Seifer is my prime example, accusing me of filling her head with stupid ideas, hiding something away from us that's probably helpful, and allowing others to die without feeling anything from them…

So when she asks how can I be so sure, I know there was no way I can deny that Seifer and everyone else sees my determination as well. They despise it.

So I replied, "…Because I want to escape too."

She stood there for a moment and then smiled at me. I know whatever it is Seifer is hiding…he's hiding from both of us. I've got to tell her everything…

Rinoa took a deep breath, but said nothing. Maybe my words made more an affect than I realized.

"Rinoa…about Seifer. Who exactly is he?"

"…Just some guy that worked under my dad in the company. I think he was from Esthar…I'm not too sure. Why?"

"…I ran into him today." More like rumbled with him…

"Is that so? Did he threaten you again?"

"…I guess you could put it that way. Anyway, he told me that you were accused of killing three men. I thought you said you set fire to someone's house?"

"…Well." She scratched her face and turned away. What am I thinking? I was supposed to tell her about Seifer, not this… "It's a long story."

"…It's okay." I sighed and studied the ground, feeling the moistness still within the air. Perhaps the T-Rexaurs are having trouble breathing…?

"Rinoa…how well do you know Seifer?"

"…To tell you the truth. Until we rode the same vessel, I had never met him before." She said she wiped her arms to rid the rainwater from sticking to her skin. "Why? Did he say anything?"

"…He's acting extremely weird." As if he wasn't acting weird when we first got here. The way he looked at everyone else, as if he were some type of god, it really got on my nerves. "And I think he knows more than he's willing to tell."

"…I have to admit, Seifer's a pretty secluded person. He doesn't like people meddling in his affairs."

"…I don't think it's just his personality. I think he's _hiding_ something."

"Something like what?"

"I don't know, but I do know that whatever it is…it's by the tree with slept in last night. I saw someone snooping around in the dark, and I'm pretty sure it was Seifer. Plus, he threw a dagger at my head!"

"What! A dagger!" She asked while facing me again.

I grabbed her shoulders and toned down my voice, "Yeah, you've got to come with me."

She looked at the ground and folded her arms, then brought her eyes to meet mine. "…Okay." I let go of her arms and we headed out to uncover the truth.

* * *

**Auther's Corner:**

* * *

Hey again everyone, and yes I'm back. You won't wait long before the other chapter comes up. And I think I kinda need some support right now, as it is a rough time for me. Anyway, like Isaid in the beginning...I have to get all of the drama out of the way before everything boilsover or what have you.So, I'm sorry if it sucks right now, but I won't let you down :gulps: again? lol 

**Please bear with me…I'm a little nervous about this. And thanks for reading. **

**Thanks skyedream, I understand completely. :) **

**_StardustRay_**


	8. Unlikely Entity

_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

_

* * *

__Chapter 7: Unlikely Entity_

* * *

Together we ran hastily through the forest and back to the old tree. We occasionally heard the loud stomps from T-Rexaurs walking around in the forest as well, but Rinoa and I were quick to change direction and had also tried to avoid splashing in the mud puddles on the ground, as any movement could be detected by the T-Rexaurs. 

Maybe when it rains, every scent that once _was_ is now _gone_ and washed away? That's probably why it was so easy to lose them like we had just a few moments ago.

I looked up and saw the tree within running range and I smiled: Finally, something to look forward to!

"There it is, Rinoa!" I spoke aloud as we approached the tree. And when we came near to the mountainside, I stopped and dropped down to my knees to look around again.

"…What are you looking for?" She asked quietly.

"…There's something here. I know it." I said while moving my hands across the soggy, dirty rocks.

After a few moments, I heard her drop down to the ground also and she began to help me in my search. I looked at her when she turned to me with a smile, and I smirked while nodding my head, welcoming her to my pursuit.

Within minutes, the two of us had searched under every rock and inside every crevice we could fine, but nothing came of our search. I sighed and leaned my forehead against the wall of the mountainside, purposely allowing the sharper rocks to injure my face; such was the reward for not being able to find anything. I complained, "…It's not right…"

"…_What_ did you say you saw and _where_ did you see it?" Glad to see _someone's_ still determined…

"…Seifer was walking somewhere around here before…and today…there was something in the crevices of _this_ wall…he tried to change the subject and make me forget about what I saw, but it was too obvious...I _need_ to know what's he's keeping from us…"

"…Let's keep looking."

I took a deep breath and looked at her, "…Right, but we'll have to go down a little further where Seifer and me fought."

"Fought? …So he threw the dagger at your head before or _after_?" She said with a slight chuckle, and I laughed with her.

* * *

We had finally reached the area where I was certain I saw that crevice in the wall. It was also distinguishable because the waxberries had been abandoned on the ground; obviously, Seifer must not have taken a liking to the fruit either. 

I heard Rinoa laughed a little when she saw the scattered berries, "…So _that's _what happened to breakfast…"

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled, "Sorry…" She giggled and turned her attention back to our situation.

I walked about and scanned the walls intensively to ensure no small crevice passed my eye. Rinoa followed me and did the same. And then, I saw it; hidden behind the bushes and rocks, but obvious enough to pick out from the rest: it was the crevice from before.

"There it is!" I yelled and went down to have a look inside.

Rinoa stood back as I bent down and stuck my finger between the crevices of the wall. I was surprised to see that it crumbled upon contact. I pulled out every piece of loose rock that had easily broken away, and after much yanking away at the rocky crusts, I soon discovered a little hole in the wall. "What the hell…?"

"…What do you see?" Rinoa asked as she stood over my shoulder and peered inside the hole. When she witnessed it for herself, she questioned, "What is _that_?"

There was an opened bag with four pouches, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a map, and two daggers similar to the kind Seifer nearly killed me with.

"_Bravo!"_ A voice yelled from behind us. It was Seifer, and he was clapping while approaching us. "So you found my stash! Now put the rock back and step away."

"Seifer, what is this?" Rinoa asked while standing from behind me. She folded her arms, "How did you get these things?"

"…Amateurs." He spat at us. "…What do you do when you get sentenced to death?" He paced around as if awaiting our answers, but we both remained silent. He sighed, "You pay off contacts so they supply you with essentials that'll help you survive!"

"…You really think cigarettes will aid you?" I asked and stood to my feet.

"No, Mr. Funny Man, but they calm my nerves whenever I need them to." He said while glaring at me.

I looked at the ground and closed my eyes. All this for what, some rusty old daggers?

"Seifer…who did you contact?" Rinoa asked.

"…Just some guys I knew back in Esthar. …Actually, this was _way_ back before I even got _here_."

"I want to know…" She demanded, "What's in those bags?"

"Deadly powders…" 

"Powders…? You mean…." She touched her mouth as if unsure of his meanings, but she surprised me, "I haven't seen those since…since my-"

"Since your dad made you blow Deling to smithereens…eh?" Seifer teased with a sly grin. …Is it true? Did she really…?

"Shut up! I told you before, I had no idea he was tied to a chair inside!" 

"That's absolutely right! So, it's _not_ your fault that he died…"

Rinoa shook her head and sighed heavily, then changed the subject. "…So what does my father have to do with you and that stash?"

Seifer looked at her and smirked, "…You'll see soon enough."

"Just tell me!" Rinoa snapped.

"_Fine_…" He stretched his arms and took a seat on the mushy, muddy ground with a yawn. "You there!" He pointed to me. "I guess it's okay if you listen in too. Not that you'll know what I'm talking about, _anyway_."

"Whatever." I said with a wave of my hand.

He laughed and looked back at Rinoa, "…Have you ever done something a thousand times, learned and memorized your own pattern, and mastered it? You get used to doing it so much that it becomes natural to you, yet you somehow know that at any moment, everything you're so talented in…could instantly be shattered."

What _is_ he talking about? I put my hand on my hip and sighed hoping he'd get the picture, but I held my peace. …Maybe he'll get to the point soon?

"I was a criminal mastermind, I _knew_ the game…every aspect of it. And one thing that every master criminal knows is that someday, he'll get caught." He smirked, "As an intuition, I…called around a few times for some help from people I had done business with from long ago. One of those people was your dad, Rinoa."

Rinoa turned away from him slowly and looked at me. She looks scared…worried. …Does she want me around to hear this?

Seifer gestured his hand in the air, "All I asked was that he lend me some gil so I could pay my other contacts in Esthar for their help."

"…Okay, but what about the _powders?_" She sounded a bit agitated.

"…Those? I suppose those are for you."

"Why?"

He chuckled, "What in the hell can _I _do with them? _You're_ the arsonist, so _you_ figure it out."

"…For one thing…there's a lighter and cigarettes… Using heat sources with those powders can be lethal." She looked at Seifer quizzically, " I'm surprised you haven't tried to blow anything away."

"That's why _you're _supposed to take them. I can't do anything but waste them…"

"…Why didn't you tell me about any of this before?" She said while walking to him slowly. 

"…That's for _me_ to know, and _you_ to find out."

Rinoa snarled, "How can I find out if _you're_ the _only_ source of information I have!"

He smirked again, "Well then I guess you'll just have to wait, see…?" 

"You're impossible!" She yelled angrily, but he laughed.

"Unlike you two, I happen to enjoy this place!" He said, as he laughed a bit. How I just wanted to kick him. I couldn't allow Rinoa to work her nerves up over this creep.

"Oh yeah?" I asked and stepped into their conversation finally. "So then why are you running for your life every time you see a T-Rex?"

"Listen little man, I'm not _stupid_. I _know_ how to survive here, and that's that." He said while standing, preparing to take his ground again, I suppose. Rinoa looked back at me worriedly, she must not want to witness us fighting… I managed to avoid his advances and focused my attention to her instead.

"…What's wrong?" I asked her softly, and she sighed.

"I lied to you…" She said, lowering her eyes to the ground shamefully.

"…What do you mean?"

She scratched her wrist and walked closer to me, "My dad is a businessman in the professional world, but a crime lord by night. He's only trying to make money…it was all he could do after my mom left us. …I had to help him or else, they would come after me too. …Yes, I _am_ a murderer…I guess I _did _kill Deling, but I never shot those men…"

"So you took the fall for him?" Seifer interrupted with a question that sounded more like a statement, a true statement.

"In a way, yes." She ran her fingers through the loose strands of her hair, nervously. "…I'd hate to talk about it."

I don't blame her one bit. Who would _thrive_ this topic anyway?

But I wonder…how they can easily recall whatever it was they endured yet I'm…so lost. …I'm angry with myself. How can they know who they are and what they've done…and yet I'm still, "…Confused."

"…What was that Squall?" She asked while looking up at me.

"Oh…nothing. I was thinking aloud…"

Seifer laughed, "Talking to yourself, eh? Only psychos do that. You're not psycho, are you?"

…Am I?

"…Squall?" Rinoa asked as she touched my shoulder.

Odine…? Odine, why did you come to the pub that night? _Why…?_

_

* * *

Why...? _

_I took my fifth shot and slammed the little glass hard onto the counter as I sat in the Pub. "Ah…I'll take two more of these chief!" I said with a smile to the old woman. I might have been on the verge of hurling, but I managed to order a couple more drinks for myself. I had been inside drinking all day long, and for all I knew, it could've been pitch black outside by now. _

"_You'll only need a few more and that's it. You won't make it home if you drink anything beyond that."_

"…_How do you know, lady?"_

"_I'm an experienced bartender. I know even before you take a seat at this counter, how long it will take you to lose control."_

"_Oh really…? So you determine how much any man can take, just by looking at him?" I asked sluggishly. _

"_That's what I said." She smirked, " …For example, I can look at you and easily see that you can only hold so little." She said with a laugh and turned away to take the order of someone else. _

"_Go ahead and laugh, but for your information, I'm not getting…drunk." I said, feeling a bit woozy from the liquor and my own rotten feelings. A man sat down beside me and ordered just a regular shot of whiskey. _

"…_What's wrong with you? You look like you've just been dumped by your girlfriend." He said, right on target._

_And we talked for who knew how long after that…_

_The more I drank, the more I felt myself talking about Selphie and me; how we met, how I felt about her, and more talk about my relationship with her, but not one word of love came from my mouth. I remember that much, even if my memory is blurred from that night. _

"_Well, I should be on my way now." I said while leaving a tip on the counter for the bartender and standing from my seat. _

"_You be careful out there, young man." She said with a friendly smile._

"…_I...I will." I somewhat stuttered, "I know how to avoid…stuff…" Like I avoided slaughtering those two in my own house, yes, I find that I've somehow mastered the way of peace throughout my entire life…_

"_Hey Squall, which way are you going?" Odine said as he left a tip also._

"…_Um…Uptown?" I said while scratching my head slowly, unsure if I were even still in the same building._

"_Me too, my hotel's up that way. Mind if tag along with you?"_

"_Not at all, the more the merrier." Yes…obviously I was drunk._

_It had been some time since we began walking home. Odine was talking gibberish, smack talk about who knows what, and I comforted my head with my hands. The next thing I knew is that I blanked out to someone, most likely Odine… screaming… Yelling…and screaming in agony---_

"Squall?" Rinoa was holding onto my T-shirt and shaking me violently. I shook my head and snapped out of my trance.

"Oh my god. I'm a murderer…"

"Seriously…? Don't you _know _that already?" Seifer said with folded arms and continued, "You moron! If you've made it _this_ far, you're guilty!"

Rinoa looked back at him, and probably glared, I couldn't tell because I saw the back of her head; although, Seifer did flinch a little when she looked at him. She faced me with sympathy in her eyes…sympathy or a strange softness…

I sighed and looked at the ground, not wanting to give her eye contact. I don't deserve sympathy from anyone. Rinoa released my shirt as I finally decided to answer Seifer's sarcastic questioning, "Not really…I don't know." I said as I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair.

"What?" Seifer questioned.

My heart began pounding in my chest, and I couldn't calm myself down. I struggled to speak, "…I was accused of…killing Ralph Odine."

"Odine! He's _dead!_" Seifer exclaimed and Rinoa nodded. That's right…earlier today, I was on the verge of telling her just _how_ the man had died…and who killed him.

I managed to force out my words, "Yeah. I happened to be the last person everyone saw him leave the Pub with in Timber; unfortunately, I was drinking…and I…I don't remember anything of it."

Seifer laughed and covered his face, "I can't believe that idiot is finally dead. He got what was coming to him. …Well you're lucky you were drunk…"

I groaned, "Will you shut up! …Odine died because of me! My hands are stained with _his _blood, and I've brought shame upon my own family! So don't you speak to me about what was coming to him…we _all _have to pay the price for what we do!" I closed my eyes and turned away from them while rubbing my forehead, " …And that's why we're here now…we _have_ to die…don't we?"

It was what I had recently begun to believe…something I told myself a thousand times as I rode the vessel to this wretched place.

I felt my body ready to crumble apart as I stared at the ground. All this time I've been denying myself…when it's so obvious that I killed a man. I moved my hand to my face and covered my eyes.

"Squall…" Rinoa said, I could hear her stepping closer to me, but Seifer pushed her back.

"Don't touch him, Rinoa. …Give him some space." He said as he pulled her away from me. And I continued to stare at the muddy ground. For once…if only for once…I was agreed with _him_, with Seifer.

* * *

_In the murky forest the fog loomed throughout the atmosphere, creating a deadly silence, which plagued every waking second…and the ominous sky remained its gloomy gray. _

_After the rainfall, the grounds were muddier and brought about a stench that reeked of old soil and human remains. The rain had rinsed and uprooted the broken human bones that had been left behind by carnivorous T-Rexaurs and buried by the earth as time passed on; left to stare at those amongst the living in mockery. _

_A murderer could look down at the bones and sigh when he truly realized his absolute fate, and then he would stare…contemplating every possible action at the moment, undoubtedly blaming himself for murder…_

* * *

"Squall!" Rinoa said while running to me, she seemed to be excited, but for _what_ I wonder. "Squall, I think there's a way…" 

"What are you talking about?"

She looked over her shoulder as if hiding from someone, and then turned back to me, whispering with a smile, "There's a way out of here, and I've got a map to prove it…"

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**Author's _Little _Corner: (lol) **

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**Hey people! Got through with another chapter after _much_ editing! (Honestly, you guys don't know how many versions of this story I have! lol) **

**Anyway, if you're a little confused about the powders, I'll explain everything in the next chapter! Thanks to our Arsonist:snickers: I know, it's a little weird, isn't it? Don't worry, they're essential to this story…there was no way I could leave them out! …Gotta tell myself to shush, otherwise... I'll leak valuable secrets! Yeah right, like I'm really going to…haha!**

**SO... **

**Thank you…**

**_Pretty Like Drugs-_ Hehe, sorry if you were confused, I do hope you've understood by now. Not to worry, it won't be all that confusing when everything begins to bloom! I'm glad you like too, and don't worry, I'll update often. (It's summer…I have a _lot _of free time on my hands. lol)**

**_Yae-_Thank you! I love challenging myself with weirdplots like this,and I'm glad it's paying off. And yeah, Seifer's crazy, indeed! lol I hope he's not scaring you, lol.**

**Well, I'm going to get started with the next chapters.**

**Guys, thanks for the feedback! It really means a lot. I don't want to feel like I'm working in vain, lol. **

**And thanks to you others out therefor taking the time to read as well! lol **

_**StardustRay : ) **_


	9. The Hopeful

**Between Heaven and Hell**

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_Chapter 8: The Hopeful_

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She looked over her shoulder as if hiding from someone, and then turned back to me, whispering with a smile, "There's a way out of here, and I've got a map to prove it…"

"…Are you serious?" I asked while sitting up from my seat.

"Yeah, but we've got to get out of here quickly." Before I knew it, Rinoa had grabbed my hand and pulled me from the ground. "There's no time to explain, just follow me."

"…Okay." I said as she released my hand, and in less than a few seconds later…

"RINOA!" We heard Seifer yell from somewhere behind us in the forest. Rinoa ran faster in front of me, and I couldn't help but find myself smiling as I ran behind her. Whatever Rinoa's crazy idea is…I'll stand by her all the way.

* * *

"It's nothing fancy…really." She said as she handed me a hand-drawn map of our _humble_ home; _this _lowlife dump…the forest. "The only problem is that there aren't too many detailed designs on the map, so we have to take guesses at what these objects are supposed to be. The artist only drew the four shorelines and made bushy areas for trees; however, there's that dotted line marked about south of where we are _now_. …Do you see how it trails into the mountains?" She said, tracing the pencil imprinted marks on the paper with her finger.

"Almost like a pathway into a cave…"

"Exactly!" Rinoa exclaimed while tapping the map once.

We had run far away from Seifer just a few moments ago, and made great distance too; but without a climbable tree around, we have no clue as to where we are in this _jungle_. Sure Rinoa said that the cave is south of us, but she made the most reasonable guess she could think of, I suppose.

She smiled and stepped back from me as I continued to study the drawing. The map had outlined the entire continent, but we both had a difficult time trying to figure which side was which. It's only natural that I'm a little suspicious about this map; Truth be told, I'm suspicious about everything! How am I supposed to trust anyone or anything else when I can't even trust myself? "What do you think?" Rinoa asked with a childish grin.

"…You want to check it out?" I asked, handing the map back to her.

"…Yeah. I know something's there…I can _feel _it."

At the moment she said those words, I sighed. Things just aren't the same for me as they were before. There are a lot of things I would like I find out, but most of all, I need to know who I am. What drove me to commit murder? I need to get back to that point in my life…I need to know why I would strike out at some man for no apparent reason, especially a man I had known only for a few hours.

Rinoa walked closer to me after tucking the map into her pocket, and stared into my eyes. I had gone into a daze…at least that's what it felt like. I really don't know what's going on anymore; _nor _do I know what to do.

"Squall? Are you still thinking about what happened earlier?"

As pathetic as it is Rinoa, yes, I am. "…Somewhat." I said, in hopes of avoiding too much detail. I think it would be better if I took sometime alone…who knows what I could do to _her_ or anyone else, if I continue in this state of mind.

I turned my attention to the rough layers of thick mud on the ground that surrounded us.

Rinoa lowered her head to catch my attention from the ground and said, "…I know it's not a good feeling. I know that everywhere we go, we'll always be reminded of our faults. We're so guilty that we…deserve banishment here, but…we learn from our mistakes, Squall."

"I understand that, I really do, but I can't forgive myself…I don't think I'll be able to live on being as I am."

"…Tell me what happened to you. Everything."

What _happened_ to me? Even _I_ don't know that much. Yes, Odine had screamed while in my presence, but I don't remember what was happening at that exact moment. "I…can't remember."

"Well if you can't remember it, don't worry about it. It's going to be frustrating, but if it's _really_ important, everything will eventually come back to you."

I rubbed the back of my head and sighed, "…Maybe you're right." I _better_ agree with her, otherwise, we'll stay here all day talking about my past.

She smiled and looked at the sky, the orange sky; how thankful we were for that orange sky. It indicated we had survived another day, but it was also a warning…alerting us of the night. Who knows what danger lurks in the darkness? "…Well then, I guess I should tinker with these pouches and powders just to get you acquainted with them. Come on Squall, I want to show you something."

I appreciate the fact that she's trying to keep my mind off my troubles, but maybe I really _should_ think about my life for a moment. …On the other hand, dwelling in the past won't change anything that's happening now…it may even make things worse, but I still want to know. "…Show me what?"

"The damage we could do with these powders." She smirked and plopped down on the ground. Rinoa had taken the entire bag from Seifer's stash. I suddenly realized that was why the guy sounded so angry when he called out to her. That's also why she looked a bit scared when he screamed her name aloud.

Maybe it's not a bad idea to have a look at what she has for me. Why not? I can always ponder my thoughts later…

I smiled and looked at her as she carefully took out each of the items she had been carrying in the bag that we found already in the hole. Rinoa looked up at me when she realized I had been staring, and smiled a little, "What is it?"

"…Nothing, I'm just trying to figure out what you're about to do with those things."

She laughed and pointed to the three pouches, which had been removed and placed onto the ground. Rinoa began to explain, "…Powders are made from certain types of ammunition, and each powder has a different effect. These three—" She pointed to the three pouches, and opened them one bag at a time. "…are different kinds: light orange, beige, and coal black powder, in other words, fire, smoke, and mist…"

She stared into the bag and gave a soft sigh, "…My dad and I…we would make all sorts of homemade bombs that were really effective against our enemies. After a while, we gained a reputation from it, and we hardly ever had to use any means of offense because our reputation preceded us. I was happy it was that way…sometimes."

She stared off for a moment, but shook her head and continued, "Anyway… the Fire powder produces _a lot_ of fire that instantly burns your enemy to the bone. The Smoke powder leaves behind a smoke screen _so _strong; it could choke your enemies to death and allow you to escape. And last but not least, there's Mist…the Big One…this leaves a dark mist that basically works like an acid in the air. …I have _yet_ to use this one."

She's…quite the arsonist, isn't she? "…Rinoa, how long have you been working with these?"

"…Since I was fifteen." Fifteen? So young… "I hadn't actually blown anything up, but I was learning about the basics. There are hundreds of other powders out there…so it's only natural that I had learned what effects each would have if mixed and matched together. It was like home school."

"…Did you ever go to regular school?"

"No, I was home schooled of course. My dad couldn't afford to let me out of the house so much because people wanted his money. He feared I may have been kidnapped on the basis of ransom, so to avoid all the confusion, he hired a tutor that came to our house, and there…I was taught just like a regular student." She picked up the pack of cigarettes and smiled, "…That bag wasn't meant for Seifer; those were things my father left for me…it's too obvious."

What? I hope she's not saying she knew this would happen, "…What do you mean?"

She smiled and picked up a tiny broken branch from the ground, "…My dad probably requested these items to be placed in here. Think about it? Would he really want me to get addicted to these?" She asked while shaking the pack of cigarettes.

Well… it _could _be exactly what Seifer said: calms his nerves.

I saw Rinoa take the stick and pull a single cigarette into her hands. She placed the tip of the stick onto the end of the cigarette, and pushed it through. Surprisingly, the entire center of the cigarette pushed out as a soft sponge and fell onto the ground. Rinoa smiled and closed the tip of the cig by squeezing the edges together. "…Cigarette wrappings are excellent for holding powders, and they also make great bombs. By filling the empty cigarette wrapping with any powder and securely closing the ends, anyone can make their own personal firecracker." She said with a smile.

I watched as she carefully poured just a little of the Fire powder into the cigarette. "Why so little?" I asked curiously.

"Trust me…you don't need a whole lot of this stuff for it to work properly." She said while focusing again on the cigarette and powder.

"I see."

She stopped and looked at me, "I can't believe my dad knows Seifer well… You'd think he would mention the guy to me since we _are_ in the same business."

"Maybe he didn't tell you about him for your own safety?" He probably didn't want Seifer around her…

"_Squall…_" She laughed and picked up the finished cigarette bomb, then motioned it to my face, "Smoke?"

"No thanks. I…uh…don't want my lungs to get blown to pieces."

She laughed again and placed them into her pocket. I'm glad to hear her laughter again. Even if we _are_ in this mess together, at least we've had our share of laughs. Suddenly, she stopped laughing and frowned.

"Squall…do you think we'll be home free once we find that place on the map?"

"…To tell you the truth, I don't want to think about it. I'd just rather wait and see…" Actually, I don't want to get my hopes up. I'm so tired of being disappointed.

"I understand." She said softly and took a deep breath.

…I wonder if she's scared?

**

* * *

**

After Rinoa made about seven more of the cigarette bombs, she called it a day and saved the rest of the powder in case of an emergency.

It was dark now, and we both decided to stay where we were. It seemed like the T-Rexaurs would never come. Because of this, we took advantage of the peacefulness whilst it lasted, who knew how long we had before those things would go out looking for another meal. Still…I wonder just how many T-Rexaurs are on this continent.

"…Squall?" I heard Rinoa speak as she sat with her eyes closed on the ground beside me. We sat underneath a wide tree that was not climbable, _unfortunately_, but it gave good shade during the day, and a shield of comfort at night.

"What is it?" I asked, turning my head to face her.

She sighed and opened her eyes. "…Never mind."

What did she have in mind to ask me? "…Rinoa?"

"It's okay."

This time I sighed and faced forward again, staring into the face of darkness. It was silent tonight, not even a single bird remained awake. I sat up thinking if this were good or bad. According to Fujin, dead silence isn't the greatest sign in the world. …Fujin…I wonder how she is? Wonder if she's found Zell and Rajin yet… What ever happened to those two anyway? Did they…?

"I'm sleepy…" Rinoa said softly. When I faced her again, I could tell she was yawning. "…Squall…" She said while wiping her eyes.

Now I get it… "…I'll watch over you." I said to her.

She had faced me slowly and I saw her smile lazily as she leaned on my arm and closed her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered.

I smiled and nodded my head to her, then sat up so she could find a comfortable position. Rinoa moved her head to my chest and folded her arms to create warmth in the cool night. Still she shivered, and so I moved my arm around her to supply her with extra protection from the chilliness in the air.

"…I'm sorry about this, really I am." Rinoa whispered into my chest. I felt the warmness of her breath vibrate against mybody as she spoke.

"…Don't be. Just try to get some sleep."

"Okay…" She said softly into the winds that had enveloped us now. The trees whistled as the leaves blew all around. I never realized how alive this forest became…even at night.

I looked down at the person sleeping practically in my lap, and I smiled. Rinoa… Ever since my first day here she's been with me. To say that she was here for a longer time than most of us on this continent, she can admit when she's afraid or needs protection. Seifer wants us all to believe he can handle himself on his on, and he wants Rinoa to think she _has _to stay with him, no matter what, but…I disagree.

I wouldn't want her to stay with him…he's insane. But who am I to call someone else crazy? …How does a murderer forget about the murder he commits? Is it possible to just…forget? …Am I really…?

My smile was gone.

It doesn't make any sense, though. I've never been this way when growing up. Sure, I may have thrown a couple of fits during my entire life, but never have I blanked out and lashed out at someone else.

Now that I think about it, I guess that bartender was right…I can only hold so little…and it'll take just enough to make me lose control. I had held in so much when growing up. So what if…it took just _one more thing_ to make me shatter?

I took a deep breath and shook my head.

I shouldn't even be around you, Rinoa. If I lost control of myself and killed a man, who says it won't happen again?

I feel my heart pick up its pace and I'm getting warmer by the second.

I stared at Rinoa's ponytail and sighed, "…Why do you trust me?" I quietly asked her. Though I knew she was asleep, I wished she had answered me.

Rinoa shivered again and murmured against my chest, "…Daddy."

…What the hell?

- - - - - - -

A loud clanking sound and feet running passed had snapped me out of my sleep. Sleep? I wasn't supposed to fall asleep! I looked down and saw Rinoa still in her deep slumber. Again, she was tired, but I knew something was approaching us.

I looked around first before awaking her and listened carefully to the noises. Then the sound of a body falling onto the ground caught my attention, as it was farther away than before.

"Aah! Frickin Hell!" A voice yelled out and Rinoa jumped up out of her sleep, looking at me with fear in her eyes.

I motioned my head toward the direction of the voice, and she followed my eyes to see what it was that had disturbed her sleep. Rinoa sighed in relief.

We both know of only one person to say that…

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**Author's _Speedway_: (Irony for how _long_ it took me to update, lol)****

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**

**Sorry for the long wait! For some strange reason, I couldn't log on at all Monday and Tuesday. But then I realized, neither could anyone else! lol (However, every now and then this happens to _me_ anyway, and when it does…I get a _little _upset and make it out to be a big deal...when I _already_ know what to expect. Hehehe)**

**Thanks to: (Warning: I talk too much...) :P lol **

**(And I'm happy that everyone loves Seifer, lol. He's a true nut case! …And Squall…hehe)**

**_Yae_-lol, Don't let him hear you say you can take him on! You don't know what he'll do! Seifer will be the best in _everything_ he can possibly be, even if that means learning to sew, lol. **

**_Skyedream_-Not to worry, the weekend is my friend! lol I work on my stories during the week, but I have the entire weekend off. So, you don't have to worry! Thanks for your concern. Oh yeah, guess who's at the door…(in the story!) And yeah, I got up and gave myself some fresh air just like you said, and I feel much better. : ) lol (hey, with that break, I spent quality time with my family, but you know...it rained...so I spent the rest of my days awaiting this site to open shop again, lol)**

**_Lady-Rinoa_- Hey there, thanks for taking the time to read what you could, lol. I know, Seifer is one of my favs from FF8…his role in almost every one of my stories is always the lunatic, lol. (That's bad, I know!) Oh yeah…this story is the prime example of an AU, I'm just glad its not weird enough for people to ignore. lol. Any by the way, I hope you're going to update your own story soon. **

**Alright, I apologize if this chapter is _too_ short or _stupid_, but the other chapter will follow very soon. It seems I've gotten a longer vacation due to our passed login trouble…so as you read this; I'm probably massacring the buttons on my keyboard to make up for the break! lol (Seriously, I'm working on it...)**

**Thanks again, **

_**StardustRay **_

**_And people, please review me! (holy crap, i've turned into a begger...)_**

**_:lowers head in shame: (I guess its inevitable.) yeah, I need to hear from you guys, so speak up! ...please? lol_**

****

**_BTW-I'm probably the first to discover we can log in again, lol. Yay! (Geez, I am so goofy...)_**


	10. Wishful Thinking

**_Between Heaven and Hell_**

* * *

_Chapter 9: Wishful Thinking_

* * *

"It's Zell!" Rinoa said and moved off me so I could stand. I stood to my feet and helped her up from the ground. She wiped her face and smiled, "He's alive." 

I nodded and we walked over to find him lying on the ground, covered in mud. He looked up at us and chuckled slightly, embarrassed maybe?

* * *

"I haven't seen her since that night. Is she okay?" 

"…I hope so." Rinoa said and looked at the ground, "She got hurt badly the night you three were ambushed by T-Rexaurs."

"What do you mean? What happened to Fujin?"

"…She's blind in one eye now."

"No…" He said and looked at the ground. "…It's all my fault. I should've gone back for her."

"Where _did _you go?" I asked while folding my arms.

He scratched the back of his neck and looked at me, "…I don't really know. I was running, and I slipped down a hill or something. I thought I was a goner!"

"…Fujin thought you died because she heard you scream so loud…" Rinoa said while sitting on her knees to join Zell as he sat on the ground also.

"…I…uh…I was scared." He said nervously.

"That would explain it." Rinoa and I said in unison. She looked up at me and smiled while shaking her head.

"…Well, falling ended up saving my life. I fell into some mud, and the T-Rex was coming in close, but…he passed me up. He didn't even turn around."

"…You fell into mud…?" Rinoa asked while rubbing her chin.

"Yeah! That's what I discovered…and it's…also why I'm so dirty." He said while pulling down on his shirt to emphasis his discovery. "…For some reason, those things can't pick up our scent when we're in mud. That's all I was able to find out. Ever since I rolled around in mud, I've managed to slip right passed T-Rexaurs." He smiled confidently.

So that's why he doesn't seem to be as nervous as he once was. He's found a way to beat the odds. Mud…another defense against those beasts.

Wait a minute, Fujin said the beast sniffed around for her, and had stood over her body acting as if he hadn't even seen her. A few moments before that happened…she had crawled around in the mud.

"…I see." I said and looked down at Rinoa, "…Fujin was able to survive because she was in mud too, remember?"

"That's right, I was _just_ thinking that." Rinoa said while looking back at me. I stooped down on the ground beside her.

"…Where's everyone else?" Zell asked us. "It's not like I'm worried about them…I just…where are they?"

"We have no idea." I said slowly, "Fujin is somewhere looking for you, Seifer's gone nuts, and Rajin seemed to have disappeared."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what did you say? _What_ about Seifer and Rajin?" He asked, sitting up to assure his ears hadn't heard wrong.

"Seifer can't be trusted." Rinoa said while standing from the ground. "He knows something about this place, but he's refusing to let us in on it."

"…I knew that guy was a bad egg." Zell groaned. "He and Rajin…I didn't like either one of them, but its Fujin I'm worried about." He stood from the ground and looked at his fist, "…She was the only one who seemed to be concerned about me, and now she's injured."

Rinoa looked back at me, and we both faced Zell, who seemed to be lost in his own world now. "Zell?" Rinoa said as he stood before us.

"Oh…" He faced us and sighed, "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." Rinoa said and walked toward him, "…We know you're worried about Fujin, but-"

"Don't tell me to forget about her. I'm tired of letting people become forgotten. There are too many T-Rexaurs around to just let a blind woman wander alone! Take it from me, the farther south you go, the slimmer your chances are of survival. …I came back from that way when I saw three T-Rexaurs traveling together." He balled up his fist once more and stared at it angrily, "…I've got to get to Fujin before they do!" With that, he took off running.

"Zell!" Rinoa called out to him and started to run, but stopped when he disappeared in the darkness. She turned back to me; even in the dark, I could see the disappointment in her eyes, "…Squall." She said, her voice sounding as if she wanted me to run behind him, but…

"…I know." I said, knowing _she_ wanted to save him. Rinoa wanted to have him aware that there was possibly a way to escape. I'm thinking that even if he was aware of there being a way of survival, Zell wouldn't care…he would go out and look for Fujin anyway.

It was at that moment I recalled Fujin quoting Zell saying: "_Anything can happen when you're not feeling like your normal self." _

When he told her that, she said his words were so true that night. And now that I think about it…they're exactly right.

Still, the more I think about it…the more I feel like his words are bothering me. Whatever it is…I don't even want to think about it.

Rinoa sighed and folded her arms, fighting off the night's chilliness, but maybe she was afraid for Zell. "…Rinoa, don't worry about him."

"…You're right…I should keep my mind on our plan."

"…Yeah." What plan? I wanted to ask, but I shooed off my bad thoughts and put my hands in my pockets. "…Sleepy?" I asked her instead.

"Not anymore." She looked at me and smiled, "Thanks."

I nodded my head with a smirk, "Anytime."

She laughed and waved her hand; I'm glad to hear her laughing again…

* * *

Approximately twenty minutes after Zell parted from us, we began our journey to find whatever it was that had been marked on the map. If it were brighter out, we would be able to spot a climbable tree and could have easily found our way provided the map was drawn accurately. 

Though the rain left the ground soggy, I was surprised to find that most of its muddiness had dried due to the cool winds gusting through the forest in the night. I wondered if things would be different in the morning; would all of the mud suddenly become moist because of the searing heat? I shook my head quickly in an attempt to rid the thought from my mind. Why was I thinking so much about mud? Maybe I'm a little afraid, and have taken comfort in the fact that mud can be our best friend in the fight against the T-Rexaurs…

I sighed and changed my focus to the sky. Even through the tree's leaves, I can see the stars all lit up in the skies above. I felt myself smiling when I fell into a daze with the heavens.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rinoa asked, snapping me out of my free moment.

Without looking at her, I replied, "Sure is." My eyes dropped from the sky and became occupied with the death path we walked.

"The first night I came here…I looked into that sky." She took a deep breath, "…and I saw a shooting star." She smiled and pointed up, "It went quickly to the south, the same direction we're going now, and in an instant it had vanished!" She put her hand down and grabbed the strap of her bag. "I think it was a message…"

I smirked, "A message from beyond?"

"Maybe… I mean, we _are_ looking for something that's _south_."

I couldn't help but to laugh a little, and she pushed my arm, "Hey, that's not funny!"

While laughing I said, "I'm sorry!"

"You wouldn't be _laughing_ if you were _sorry_!"

I managed to contain my laughter and became serious, "A message from beyond? …It could've been a mere coincidence; the star just happened to shoot to the south."

She sighed. "No, it was _not _just some coincidence." Rinoa looked at me with seriousness in a desperate attempt to get my understanding, "That star was showing me the way out of here that night." She said softly.

"Bull-"

"I'm not kidding!" Rinoa chuckled and _slapped_ my arm this time. I laughed a little and shrugged my shoulders.

"I know, I know…" I said while waving my hand. "At least you have a ray of hope, right?"

She smiled and faced forward, "That's right. Now let's see how long I last."

I flinched, "Don't say that."

"…Squall?"

"Um, nothing…" I scratched my head and focused on our trail, even without looking at her, I _knew_ she was smiling at me. What came over me? Why had I spoken so suddenly?

* * *

After a long while of walking, I began to smell the freshness of the morning air swirling about and around us. Though the sun hadn't risen, the thought of its arrival soon brightened our expectations. 

Rinoa held her stomach and sighed, "…It's really time for me to leave. I haven't eaten _food_…in a very…very…"

"Rinoa, you're only teasing yourself."

She smirked, "A girl can dream."

Before we had the chance to laugh, we both heard the stomping of a T-Rexaurs' heavy feet nearby. Rinoa hastily grabbed the bag and reached inside. She took out the two daggers and handed me one.

I swear, I could have laughed at that moment realizing that there was _no way_ a tiny dagger could take down a giant T-Rex; nevertheless, I took the blade into my hands and quieted my walking. The things we do when we're afraid…

Rinoa looked at me while throwing the bag over her shoulders, and looping her arms through. She whispered, "I guess that means we're getting close…"

"Perhaps." I whispered back, and we hid behind a tree to study the pattern of the beasts' steps.

Rinoa stood behind me as I peered around the side of the tree, hoping the T-Rex would just reveal itself so we could find a way to sneak about, but the reptile seemed to have stopped.

I muttered, "…Where did it go?"

"I don't know, I can't see it either." Rinoa whispered also, placing her hands on my shoulders and peaking out from behind me.

"Rraagh!" It made a loud shriek, and Rinoa and I pulled back and placed our backs against the tree as the sound of another T-Rex' stomping came about from the opposite direction of the first one. I closed my eyes and nervously whispered aloud, "There's two!"

"No way!" Rinoa did the same. "…If that's the case, we're definitely close." She said inaudibly lower than when she had whispered while calm.

Within a few seconds, the two beasts had parted and walked away.

"Are they gone?" Rinoa asked as I peered around the tree again.

"I don't see them anymore. …Yeah, they're gone." I said while stepping out from behind the tree.

"Good grief…" Rinoa said; releasing a breath she probably had held since we caught sight of those T-Rexaurs. "What were they doing; discussing the _weather_?"

"I have _no_ idea." I have to admit, seeing those things meet up and communicate was a bit…unusual. I guess we're so used to being chased around by these idiots to realize that they're still animals…they have feelings too…_right?_

"Oh well. Let's keep going."

I nodded slowly and started up the path again. If there were only two T-Rexaurs just now, I wonder how many are waiting for us up ahead. I gulped and saw Rinoa quickening her pace. Obviously, Rinoa's in no mood to wonder, she wants to find out. "Rinoa…"

"We have to…if we really want _out_, we have to get to that place quickly."

"Yeah." I agreed and sped up my walking as well.

Somewhere nearby, we could hear running water. I had become thirsty just by hearing it sparkling so naturally. I began to picture the crystal liquid flowing coolly into my mouth and quenching my thirst, but I had stopped myself upon remembering what I recently told Rinoa: _You're only teasing yourself._

Rinoa suddenly froze in her steps, and when I looked up ahead, I could not believe my eyes either.

We saw that up ahead, the darkness of the forest ended, that there was a great field of light. All this time, we had been thinking the forest was never ending, and yet here we are, about to take our first steps through. The sky had gotten brighter as we approached the illumination, and we both placed our hands in front of our faces to block out its radiance.

"Can you believe this?" Rinoa said as we got near the exit, and she smiled, "We're here, Squall. We made it."

But when I looked through…all that excitement flushed right out of my system. And I took a step into the light. "Rinoa…" I muttered underneath my breath as she took a step beside me. She gasped aloud and covered her mouth.

We were standing about twenty feet away from the mountainsides, and could see that trees had stopped growing before the rocky cave. Were we thrilled? Of course _not!_ We saw an orange mass of reptile skins together, as if herding sheep, fighting and feeding on an injured T-Rex that had been lying on ground.

We saw the dampened grass, filled with puddles of water that had formed due to the unevenness of the green field. We saw giant T-Rexaurs and medium T-Rexaurs biting at each other's legs, shoving each other down in those puddles, and chasing after the birds that landing for a bath. We saw it all.

Rinoa stepped back, placing her hand on her chest and sighing, "Where are we?"

And I just couldn't help but thinking back to my first day arriving here when Zell cried aloud from the ground that _same_ question; and even back then my answer remains unmistaken, this place is indeed…_hell._

* * *

As we walked back into the forest, Rinoa strayed off and pushed her forehead against a slim blackened tree. She groaned deeply, "This was _not_ supposed to happen." 

What more can you expect? It's hopeless…_hopeless_.

"No wonder no one ever escaped, they killed themselves when they saw all those T-Rexaurs!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Rinoa…" 

"I can't believe this Squall! I _cannot!_" She screamed without looking at me, "_Now_ what are we supposed to do, just _die_!"

I touched her shoulder and looked at her as she fumbled to hold back a few tears, "…No…we'll survive." I lied. I lied terribly, and I know it. I only want to make her feel secure, but…

"…We _have _to, Squall. We have to fight them." She looked at me and quickly wiped the few tears away with a smile, "It's our only chance."

Fight? But how can we…? I know we have those explosives…but…even those can fail us in times of danger.

Then it struck me like fiery lightning striking an old dried up tree in a desert: _"You'll never win in a fight against those T-Rexaurs." _

Seifer's words; His words began to boil my anger to its fullest. I was already sick of seeing him, but when his words came back to haunt me…I just couldn't take it any longer. I will _not _allow him to win. I can't.

"Rinoa…did you hear a stream of water somewhere back there?" I asked her, a smile forming upon my lips as the idea flowed easily into my head.

"…Yeah, why?" She looked at me, curiousity seeping from her eyes.

"…Let's take a mud bath." I said with a smile, and Rinoa's eyes lit up as _bright_ as the moon.

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**Author's Grotto: **

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**Me again! Finally, the T-Rex action kicks back in! Woo! lol**

**:wipes cookie crumbs from her mouth: (lol)**

**Thanks _Ittan Momen_, and I shall never lower my head in shame again, haha. No way are your reviews lame! Oh yeah, I hope your exams go well, I took my finals 2 weeks ago, so this story is my way of burning off the extra steam! Burning steam is pretty swell!**

**Thanks _Yae_-I'm keeping to my word. I'm working on the update after this one, I promise you'll wait no longer than 2 days for it. (BTW- Seifer was rushed to the hospital, he almost killed himself with the sewing needle-lol) **

**Thanks all, and Review! …please. **

**My new years resolution…was to stop using lol so much…but… :coughs: …**

**EDIT: I had a ruler problem, but its taken cared of, haha. **


	11. Confusion

**I apologize! I'm sorry! Things have been extremely weird for me lately, but I've gotten this chapter done. I'm terribly sorry for the long wait you all. And I had promised to have this updated about 3 days ago… **

**Well, this chapter is a bit weird, and I named it Confusion for a reason. So if you get confused, don't worry, it'll come together soon. The end is nigh, okay? I don't want this story to be a drag on, so I'm letting you know now, the end is nigh! Ha-ha! Oh yeah...longness...beware...**

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_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

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_Chapter 10: Confusion_

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"Rinoa…did you hear a stream of water somewhere back there?" I asked her, a smile forming upon my lips as the idea flowed easily into my mind. 

"…Yeah, why?" She looked at me, curiosity seeping from her eyes.

"…Let's take a mud bath." I said with a smile, and Rinoa's eyes lit up as _bright_ as the moon.

"…You're right! You're absolutely right!" She exclaimed and embraced me quickly, "Where there's water, there's mud! Since mud can aid us, we should definitely use it to our advantage."

"…Well, it won't be much help, but maybe we can create some sort of distraction?" I said as she released me from her grasp. She turned around and scratched her cheek, probably going into her usual thinking mode.

The only thing that would be helpful at this point is if we use one of those cigarette bombs as a decoy. Fujin said that smoke draws the T-Rexaurs' attention---wait a minute. How would _she_ know that? Everyone knows it's impossible to make fire without the use of a lighter on this continent, and that's because of the dampness. Was she just making a statement, or was that statement true? Does she know something we don't?

My eyes fell to the ground, and I felt my feet sinking into the dirty soil beneath me. …Sinking…I'm just sinking. Every time light is shone, it's turned off by some dark and menacing shadow, thus pushing me further away fromhope. …How much I despise the dark right now--

"Squall did you hear me? It's this way." Rinoa said, cutting into my thoughts. I hadn't heard when she first began to talk to me. "Are you okay?" She asked me while walking closer and staring into my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I avoided eye contact and replied just to be sure she wouldn't try to reach up her hand and check my temperature next…

"Alright then, let's head back to the stream." Rinoa said as she turned back and led me to our next destination.

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Not long afterwards, we reached the stream. Rinoa knelt down and plunged her hand into the muddy edges of dirt on the sides of the running stream. She slowly spread the mud across her arms and legs; all the while I had unintentionally stared at her. She felt my eyes on her and smirked, then threw some mud on my shirt, "Hurry up, will you?" I nervously laughed and knelt down to get my own handful of mud.

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"It's a good thing we ran into Zell _last _night because if I saw him _now_, I'd _kill_ him." Rinoa said as she rubbed her forearm with one hand and her thigh with the other while walking. The dried mud had been agitating her since she smeared it across her skin. I, on the other hand, only applied the mud to my arms because my pants are covering my legs, so it was unnecessary to put mud there. We both knew that the mud would help to deflect our body's perspiration just _a little_, but any boost of anti-perspiration we have will do us both just fine. She continued with her struggle to relieve the itch caused by the mud on her arm, and I smiled. 

Fighting off the urge to laugh at her, I focused my attention elsewhere. After hearing her sigh and give up the scratching, I noticed Rinoa had taken out the lighter and held two cigarette bombs in her hand as we neared the cave grounds; my heart began to race within my chest when I realized _this_ was it. We escape or… we die trying; when it comes down to our fate, it's not totally up to us to decide. She handed me a cigarette and sighed, "…Don't waste it."

"…I won't." I said, carefully taking the bomb into my hands. It was my job to hold onto it just incase Rinoa was somehow unable to send a bomb out. Or I could hand it to her whenever she ran out of the others; we would at least have an _extra _bomb. This cigarette's sole purpose is for keepsake, and I'll hold to it for as long as I possibly can.

We had stood and stared at the T-Rexaurs, continuing their meaningless social activities, and awaited the perfect opportunity to strike. "Squall…" Rinoa whispered to me. "…if anything happens to me…" She paused, "…Just keep going."

"Rin—"

"I'm serious. Don't even think about coming back for me, do you understand?" Even without her eyes on me, I can feel that she's hurting, hurting for freedom, for survival…for life. Rinoa wants this so bad…and I'll do everything in my power to see to it that she gets what she wants.

There was no way I could contemplate my life over hers for a second, there's no way I can run like a coward and forget about her. Even _Seifer _admitted that Rinoa is innocent. If any of us deserves out, it's her.

Now she's _ordering_ me to leave her behind? I simply shrugged my shoulders. Unable to counter her words…I sighed and held my peace, but muttered, "…Understood."

In the event danger emerges, each person must scatter from one another for survival: it was the golden rule for us convicts, a rule that I quickly understood and respected. I looked at Rinoa, whose eyes reflected the devil, himself, and I swallowed my breath hard. "…Let's go." I said as we began trotting toward the hungry menaces that lingered before us.

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Somewhere in the midst of our running, I don't know what happened. It was like I…I lost myself. 

…I opened my eyes and discovered I was surrounded by darkness…

"Rinoa…?" Maybe she's here with me? I know she's got to be here. Becoming nervous, I called out to her with all the energy I could spare, "Rinoa!"

Just as I yelled, I suddenly felt my entire body cringe in heat and fierce agony, and I yelled out in pain. I can't bear it all anymore… it's agonizing! What the hell is happening to me! "Aaaaaah!"

Screaming only worsened the pain, as it seemed to have swelled within my ribs. With all my might I tried to fight off the pain, and squeezed my hands together to create a pressure point that would be sure to ease the pain just a little. And I squeezed…but I felt something in my hand.

I managed to pull my hand to my face and saw the dagger Rinoa had given to me earlier…but this time…it was stained with blood. But…I don't…know why…? I haven't even used it yet.

When I looked at my clothes, they were stained in blood as well. How?

"Rin…Rinoa?" Finally, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness; I saw that I was inside the cavern. I don't remember getting here. Slowly, I stood to my feet and rubbed the back of my head; is it because Seifer used something to knock me out before…is that why my head's killing me? No…my head's been hurting since I rode that vessel here. Dismissing the futile thoughts from my mind, I took a little time to explore my surroundings.

And I looked around at the rocky hollow walls of the cavern; its darkness making my eyes twitch every so often. I searched its depths until I saw the light, but the speck that was in my view seemed to be unrealistic. Every time my pupils zoomed into its illumination, it would disappear. It constantly played this mind game with me, but I shook my head and continued onward. When I took another step, it felt as if every wall around had collapsed and engulfed me into its gloomy depths.

I was breathing heavily and wiping my eyes, but my vision became increasingly blurry. Upon taking one more step, I collapsed of exhaustion and fell to the ground; the crushing of every single grain of dirt sticking to my face and sounds of splashing water droplets stinging the rocks falling from the top, reverberated through the cavern: it seemed as though time had frozen when I landed on the ground. The little energy I had expended with my fall.

I challenged myself once again with the same question: "What is happening to me?"

"Aaaaaaagh!" A man's scream suddenly, _another_ man's scream, shrieked from nowhere. No way is it familiar to me. Its not even _Odine's_ voice… Who could it be? Who's here?

And then there was darkness…once again.

As the sounds of heavy footsteps neared, I gripped the dagger in my hand tightly, and muttered. "…What the-"

"Squall!" Rinoa? She's here, but…I can't see her face clearly. I see something approaching, but it looks like a _monster_. …It's not Rinoa. Some tall caliginous figure emerges into my view and slams into my face hard, yet it feels like fire burning my skin, and hands…I feel hands everywhere…grabbing me.

It's searing hot…_everywhere_…! Have I died?

…Is this hell?

"Squall!"

Rinoa I can hear you, but I can't answer you…nor can I wake up… Am I dead?

"Get up!"

I've…lost my mind.

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The loud sound of a car's screeching tires pierced my ears and woke me from my slumber. I gasped for air and opened my eyes. Car? Tires? 

"Squall?" Rinoa whispered my name as she saw my eyes opening. I was lying down on my back in the cavern, and Rinoa was sitting on top of me. Her eyes were big and puffy, as if she had been crying. They were red and miserable looking, yet I found myself gazing into those eyes, wondering what could have been the matter, wondering what had just happened, wondering…why the _hell_ is she sitting on top of me?

She grabbed my shirt by the collar with both hands and glared at me, "…Are you _crazy_?"

"…Huh?" Crazy? I don't know…if only I knew what _happened_…

"You're an idiot…you're a complete idiot…" She said, as tears escaped her eyes. What did I _do_, but more importantly, why is she crying?

"I don't understand…" I spoke, my voice sounding as if I had been asleep for some centuries.

"Don't you remember?" She hadn't shouted, but her whisper was loud enough to pass as a yell…

I shook my head, no. All I know is that I blanked out again. I'm starting to do that more often now; definitely _not _a good sign.

She stared into my eyes; I could feel her hands squeezing my shirt tightly within her grip. "No! What do you mean, no! What-were you _possessed _out there!"

"…Possessed?"

"…You really have no idea…do you?" She asked, and again…I shook my head, _no._

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_**-Through the Eyes of Rinoa-**_

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"Don't even think about coming back for me, do you understand?" 

He took a moment, but then he whispered softly, "…Understood." His eyes had never left the sight of T-Rexaurs.

…Those things! Those stupid filthy things! They're just parading around with no worries; meanwhile, _we _live in fear of _them _and are hunted by _them_. How I just want to blow them all away!

I feel my hand balling into a fist again, this usually happens when I'm angry: _Very_ angry…and it's a bad habit I've developed since I started working for my dad. Might I add that it's very hereditary too; I often saw _him_ doing the same thing whenever someone was starting to get on his nerves.

I glared at those beasts.

Dad… You've given me the keys, now all I have to do is get to the door. I won't let you down, I promise.

"Let's go." Squall muttered and we began to jog toward those wretches. I'm glad Squall is here… If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be on my way to this cavern. Seifer would've continued to hide the map from us, and we would have been lost in the forest forever.

Even though we ran toward the T-Rexaurs, we made sure to keep ourselves hidden along the trees of the forest. I took the lighter into my hand as I ran and undid the child proof lock, and then pushed down the gas switch, trying to create fire in my hands; however, while running, this task is impossible, so I stopped behind a tree to light the switch and watched as Squall continued to run. …Good, he's following my wishes.

"…C'mon." I spoke to the lighter in my hand, which was jammed at the moment and giving me a hard to time making fire. Because one thing has gone right, the other has to be complicated: Its rebelliousness is intolerable. "C'mon stupid!" I yelled at the piece of junk, hoping to scare it back to life, back to usefulness.

"Rinoa!" Squall shouted, and when I looked up, I saw two T-Rexaurs charging directly at me. Squall was running behind them shouting, "Run!"

I was scared, and my finger lit the switch once more…this time, I felt the tip of my thumb burning against the heat of a short flame. "Yes!" Quickly, I took the cigarette and set fire to its tip, it instantly burned down. I dropped the cigarette and ran away to escape the explosion of the bomb. "Squall, change course!" I yelled back to Squall, who had still been running behind the T-Rexaurs.

Moments later, I heard the explosion behind me along with the roars of the two T-Rexaurs. I didn't look back; I didn't want to see what had happened. I never look back while in a chase. But…Squall…he's somewhere back there.

I stopped myself and turned around slowly. All the dust and smoke still clouded the area, so it was hard for me to get a good look out for Squall. I wonder if he ran elsewhere when I called out to him. I hope he did.

Looking over at the cavern, I saw the T-Rexaurs fleeting the area quickly. Finally…Finally, I had scared them away. _I_ put fear into _their_ eyes…

I resisted the urge to cheer and continued to watch them flee. "I hope I didn't sweat off the mud barrier. I may have to sneak pass a few beasts that will probably linger here… After all, T-Rexaurs never completely flee the scene."

"Aaaaaagh! Damn you! Die!"

"Huh!" I looked back to where my bomb went off…the mist still heavy in the air, clouding my vision, cloudy my breathing. Smoke is everywhere…everything seems to rush to my face, there's total panic present in my heart when I think about Squall being in more danger, "Squall!"

I ran back through all the smoke in search of his voice again. I heard the agonizing cry of a T-Rexaur, and its loud shriek followed by, "…I hate you!" Squall's voice again…but it sounds like he's crying. "I hate you!"

When the smoke cleared, I saw Squall shoving the dagger into the T-Rexaurs eyes. The beast was too injured to move, its legs had been blown off from the explosion of the fire cigarette bomb. …It was…it was the most gruesome thing I had ever seen in my life. And I looked at Squall, who was lost in his victory, plunging the dagger in and out of the beast's eyes and anywhere that was soft enough to wound.

For a split second…I…I pitied that _thing_. "Squall! That's enough!"

Squall was crying while shoving the dagger further into the thick scales of the T-Rexaur's skin. He wouldn't give up. "Squall!" He continued.

"Enough!" I yelled and pushed him from towering the T-Rexaur, which sat agonizing in its last hours of life. Squall fell onto the ground; surprisingly, the dagger was still in his hands. He was crying still, and mumbling something, but I'm not too sure what he said.

I focused back onto the T-Rexaur and watched it suffering, almost like an injured kid that had just falling from his bike upon learning to ride for the first time.

"…I'm sorry." I said and pulled out another cigarette bomb. Of course I _pity_ it, and there's no way I can let this animal suffer any longer. When I look into its eyes, this reptile is _begging_ me to end its life.

Just as I pushed down the switch, Squall yelled aloud, "Shut up!"

"Squall? Who are you talking to!"

Squall quickly got to his feet and ran toward the cavern. "Squall!" He ignored me and continued to run. I looked back at the T-Rexaur on the ground and sighed while lighting the cigarette and dropping it beside the beasts face. Seconds after I walked away from it, the bomb went off. I hate those things, but I don't know why…I feel like I want to cry for it.

I walked through the forest, and was heading back to the sight of the cavern, when I saw Squall kneeling in the middle of the plain. He had his hands over his ears and was hunched over on the ground.

"…Squall…oh no…" There was a T-Rexaur emerging from the forest to Squall's left. "Squall!" I yelled as I ran toward him. The T-Rexaur jogged toward Squall, without ever noticing me running. Squall stood to his feet and looked at the T-Rexaur. He just stood in one spot. Just like before, he remained in one spot!

"Not again!" I screamed as I pushed myself to run faster; thus pushing Squall out of the T-Rexaur's fierce jaws. The beast's bite snapped across at me as I had pushed Squall from its deadly attack, we both landed on the ground. Squall fell onto his stomach and I fell against him, no doubt in my mind, I would be the first to be devoured, an appetizer. The beast faced us and walked slowly, saliva dripping from its fangs in an acidy flow.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. If I were going to die, I'd rather it be quick and sudden, I don't want to feel each tooth puncture my skin.

Suddenly, I heard the flick of a switch, and smelled burning paper; not to mention the paper was burning right beside my face.

In that moment I realized my position was different. I had fallen with my back against Squall's _back_, didn't I? Well…why is it that I'm in between his legs? How? How did that happen?

I felt the thrust of his arm beside me, and heard the sound of burning ashes soaring through the air. Seconds after the swooshing of fiery contents, an explosion occurred and my body was plunged to the ground with his body atop me, protecting me from flying debris, which was mostly like T-Rex parts.

My eyes remained closed as the explosion subsided, and I felt his heavy breathing against my neck, it was Squall. The beating of his heart was so swift, and it pounded heavily against my body. I felt each breath he took as his chest moved up and down against me. More than a few seconds had passed, and we remained that way, until I realized we were still in harm's way.

"Squall." I said, trying to rise up from the ground. He didn't budge, "Squall?" Still, no response, and I leaned back on my elbows with him lying on me. "Get up, _now!"_

He groaned and snuggled against my neck while whispering, "…It wasn't me." I heard him sniffle a bit, "It wasn't me." He said to me…

"…What are you talking about?" I asked him, only this time, he didn't answer me.

After managing to crawl from beneath his body, I pulled him inside the cavern as quickly as I could. I was only able to pull him half way inside.

He mumbled again, and slowly got to his feet. "You're awake?"

He rubbed his face with his hands and stumbled slightly as he stood. I tried to help him to his feet, but he pushed me back. "What's wrong with you!"

"Aaagh!" He screamed and moved his hands from his face. He walked toward me swiftly and threw punches at me, but I avoided the punches and clipped him to the ground. He fell and hit his head hard against the rocks.

I looked at his eyes, and saw that they were half open, half closed. His pupils dilated and were darting from one corner of his eyes to the other.

I watched him on the ground…he was breathing heavily, but never waking. He sounded as if he were whimpering on the ground, just as the T-Rex had done. I realized he was no longer dangerous and tempted faith to touch his face. I moved my hand and tapped the side of his face, "…Squall."

And he gave me no answer, so I knew I had to wake him up now. They say if a person's mind is lost and he zones out, there's a chance he won't return. It's almost like a psychotherapy message…or something. Whatever it may be, I'm going to act by it. I have to wake him up.

"Squall!" I yelled as I climb atop him and grabbed his collar. "Squall!" I shook him harder, "Get up!" I screamed, tears falling from my eyes.

I didn't want to lose him, even if he isn't completely together; he's the only person I can trust now. It was he who showed me the way so there's no way I can lose him now!

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**-_What her Eyestold Squall-_**

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"You almost got us killed... Well, I dragged you inside after you blew that thing to bits, and we've been in here ever since." She said, still sitting on me as if holding me down. Had I attacked her? 

I can sense her worries throughout her being. I scared the life out of her back there, yet I can't recall any of it…

"Anyway…" She said while sighing, "We can't get out from here… There's…" She sounded as if she were sobbing

"Rinoa?" I was sitting up now, and she sat back onto the ground.

"There's no exit!" She cried out, "There's no way out of here, Squall! We're dead!" She slapped her forehead and cried against her hand.

I looked around myself and studied the cavern's walls…sure enough, the cavern was deep, but there was no light from the back. "…Maybe if we walked—"

"Don't you think I tried that? I've searched everywhere…but…nothing." She looked at the ground sadly, "They were right…it's hopeless."

"Rinoa…" What can I say? What can I possibly say to her that will make her lighten up a little? …Nothing…nothing I say will make her feel any better than how she feels now. I stood in one place and watched her cry as she stared at the ground. I don't know what to do anymore…I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. Who knows what she could be feeling now? All that work for nothing, and so I muttered, "…I'm sorry." I'm sorry because this is all my fault too. I had filled her head with stupid ideas and fantasies of freedom. I had sneaked around and turned her against the only person that's here to protect her. It's all my fault. Seifer was right.

She looked up to me from the ground, and whispered, "Squall…" She said, as she leaned closely to me. Too close… I stared into her eyes, not wanting to break the heavy contact we had with one another, for in that moment we were in shared need of warmth and comfort. Too long have I been trapped on this continent and hadn't had contact or physical love and warmth of a woman.Selphie was my one and only, but...Selphie's not here now, is she? She's probably with _him._

Rinoa pressed her lips against mine and …I returned her kiss. I placed my hand on her face and caressed her cheek as we kissed, but before I could deepen it, she pulled away and stood to her feet.

"I…I…I'm sorry." She said and walked into the darkness of the cavern.

"Rinoa…" I murmured to her as she walked away from me. I remained on the ground. Only seconds later, I heard something splatter within the darkness, and I also heard Rinoa gasp slightly.

"Squall!" She called out, and I rose to my feet to run behind her. I saw Rinoa pointing at the ground, and when I walked near her, I felt myself crush something big…and crunchy.

I raised my leg and studied the splattered substance on the ground. It was white and pearly with pieces of shell and wet red lumps of only god knows what; I nearly puked at the sight of it, "What is that!" We both said together.

"Look!" Rinoa shouted while pointing to more of the same thing on the ground. And at that moment, we both stared around in a daze. We were standing in the midst of T-Rexaurs' eggs…_not_ good.

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Author's Hideaway:

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**Well, this chapter is a little chaotic, but right now my brain is twisting like crazy…nevertheless, I will continue to write. Update will follow soon, but I can't make any promises anymore. (hey, don't worry! This fic will be finished! I'm determined!) hehehe**

**I know…I may receive some flames for this chapter…but haven't I warned you all that this story is weird…? -sighs- **

**So let me have it. Review me:P**

**Thanks to:**

**_Lady Rinoa_-You know, I enjoy writing from Squall's view. It's fun! …But Rinoa basically owns this chapter, so I guess that kinda ruined it, eh? lol oh yeah…I don't think I can drop this habit, haha.**

**_IttanMomen_- While the T-Rexaurs are scary, Squall is _scarier_! lol, Go ahead and jump in the mud if you like, but keep an eye out for T-Rexaurs, they're in love with you cookies! lol**

**And thanks everyone else that reads, who I _know_ are reading! Haha. **


	12. Fleeting Hope

_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

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__Chapter 11: Fleeting Hope_

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"Look!" Rinoa shouted while pointing to more of the same thing on the ground. And at that moment, we both stared around in a daze. We were standing in the midst of T-Rexaurs' eggs…_not_ good. 

"Eggs?" I muttered as I stooped down to closely examine the lopsided sphere eggs on the ground. "…So this is why there are so many T-Rexaurs in this area, they reproduce here."

When I stood from the ground, I saw Rinoa, balling up her fist again and glaring at the scattered eggs. "Squall…these monsters…I can't let them continue." She looked at me and walked closer, then stepped down on a whole T-Rexaur egg, purposely destroying the beast' work.

"Rinoa…"

"Think about it Squall, these things have been tormenting us since we each arrived here. Why should we sit around and let them multiply? We'll only die faster..." She had smiled and touched my shoulder.

I moved my eyes from her and looked at the ground. Actually, it doesn't matter if we killed _these_ things, there are others around and they'll only reproduce, filling this cavern with even more eggs. Eventually, I'll die, and she'll die…most likely eaten; so what does it matter if we stomped a few---no…it _does_ matter.

Before I die…I'll kill as many of these bastards as I possibly can.

Without any hesitation, I stomped an egg beside Rinoa's foot. I focused my attention back to her face with a smirk. She stared into my eyes with a sweet smile that forced my lips to do the same. Which brings me back to why she pulled away from our kiss.

"How did that feel?" She asked me, and because my mind was thinking of our kiss, I had answered, "_Damn_ good."

I shook my head and looked at the ground trying to make sense of my response, when Rinoa turned away from me with a laugh. "Think of how many eggs are in here. This cave isn't very deep, but it's long enough to house hundreds of eggs."

"…What do you want to do?" I asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

She turned back to me with a smile, "What else?"

* * *

We went through stomping and jumping, throwing and tossing around eggs as if there were no tomorrow; in _our_ case, maybe there _wasn't._ I don't know if it was our anger or from pure bliss, we were _driven_ to destroy egg after egg in that cavern. We hadn't reached the very back, but we did more than enough damage to the front. 

We were covered in liquids from the splatters of those eggs and stenches I had no idea existed, but did we care? Not one bit. Rinoa smashed two eggs together and then threw those remnants against the wall, while I threw a few at her from the left side of the cavern, where I stood. She laughed and threw the remaining mess in her hands at me, but I dodged it and picked up another from the ground.

"Squall, you're crazy!" She said with laughter rising by the second, and she was just about the dodge my pitch when we both her a slight grumble beyond the darkness of the cavern. Rinoa had silenced her giggling and we both faced the dark together. "…What was that?" She asked quietly.

"…I don't know." _Nor_ did I _want_ to know.

There was silence in the cluttered air. Our eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but there still wasn't enough illumination to fully detail the entire cavern. I took a deep breath and held it. Quietly dropping the egg, I wiped my face and took a step toward the grumbling noise we had heard moments ago.

"What are you doing!" Rinoa's whisper echoed as a yell.

"Stay back!" My voice mimicked hers.

"You idiot!"

"Be quiet!" I spoke while giving her a look that would surely cease her talking. I glared at her for a few more seconds and saw her eyes shoot toward the darkness. She gasped and pointed, "Squ…all…"

Somehow…I _knew_ what she had been pointing too, but I couldn't bring myself to turn around and face it. As I expected, I felt wind blow my hair from my face with a rumble of breath. It snorted on me again, and when I turned around, I was staring face to face with an enormous T-Rexaur whose back had practically reached and scraped the ceiling of the cavern. It looked as if it were bending down just to get a good look at _me_, the intruder.

I opened my mouth as if to speak, but nothing came forth; instead, I slowly took a step back, breathing ever so lightly and quietly. Everything around the T-Rexaur and me went black; Rinoa was no longer there. I realized for the first time today, I was on my own. Finally, the death that I so _greatly_ deserved was about to happen.

I continued to take baby steps backward, but the T-Rexaur gradually moved along with me. It seemed to take pleasure in smelling my fear, along with the scents of its unborn young. It growled and continued to move, this T-Rexaur was unlike the others: The beast was hesitant, yet dangerous. I had no idea when it would strike, and this monster thrived at the idea that I was its prey, therefore, it would torture me until hunger drove it enough to take a bite. Then again, the T-Rex probably isn't hungry; it'll devour me simply because I'm not supposed to be here: it'll devour me just for the hell of it!

I slowly moved my hands up defensively and continued to back my way from the mature T-Rexaur, obviously the _mother _of all the others, and _she_ followed me. Quickly, she reared her head back at the rustling sound of feet behind her. All the darkness enveloping only the two of us returned the dim color from before to its former glory, and I saw Rinoa trotting with the lighter and a burning cigarette in her hands. She walked swiftly into the darkness, but the illumination from the lighter she used allowed us to see her.

"Rinoa what are you doing!" I yelled by accident, and the T-Rexaur turned back to me with a roar that almost blew the clothes off my back. It raised its head preparing to snap at me, and I took this time to turn and run away.

"The big one!" I heard Rinoa yell from inside the cavern as I ran for my life away the mother. The big one _all right… _The _big one_ was chasing _me_.

"Aaaaaagh!" I screamed giving every ounce of my energy to my legs and only seconds later I heard an explosion from the back of the cavern. When I turned back, I saw that the T-Rexaur had given up on me. "What…?"

I said as I had stopped myself. I gasped for air, "It's…"

"SQUALL! AAAAAAHH!" Rinoa yelled from the back, and I instinctively pushed myself to run again. I heard the T-Rex' hideous cry and it's teeth clattering together with a vicious bite. Then I heard Rinoa gasp with shock and a loud thump followed; like a body to the floor…

"RINOA!" My heart stopped, and everything around me zoned out.

In that instant, it was as if I had watched myself from a third person's view. In slow motion, I saw myself running toward the T-Rexaur and Rinoa with the most menacing facial expression I never thought possible of me.

I ran to the roaring T-Rexaur and leapt onto its back, taking the dagger from my pocket and climbing onboard using the lumpiness of its back as my steps. I reached its face and wrapped one arm around the beast's neck, and the other I held up the dagger high to show the beast what I would do.

Without hesitation, I slammed the dagger into the eye of that bastard and twisted the dagger to give a lasting effect. I watched myself do this to the T-Rexaur a second time, and I saw myself smile with satisfaction. It yelped and flung me from its back and I fell farther to the back.

Suddenly, when I opened my eyes, I was once again in control of myself. I looked at my blood stained hands, my trembling blood stained hands and nearly cried out because of my sins. "…It _was_ me." Odine…

"Ugh…" Rinoa's moan sounded from up ahead as she lay on the ground, wincing in pain. …She's alive?

I saw the T-Rexaur dancing around in agony, ramming its head into the wall of the cavern to remove the dagger from its eye, but to no avail. Because the beast was so involved with itself, I took this time to gather my strength and pick myself up from the ground.

I slowly crawled to Rinoa who was only feet away from the berserker T-Rexaur, and reached my hand to her. Rinoa had winced again and tried to move, but failed terribly. She flinched when my hand reached her body, probably thinking that I might have been another T-Rexaur.

"Rin, it's okay. It's me." I whispered, trying to pull her back into the safety zone. I didn't want the T-Rexaur to step on her.

"…Squall." She whispered scratchily.

I sat on my knees and grabbed her shoulders, then her shirt to pull her back upon me. The closer I pulled her, the more she began to cry. She was hurt…hurt bad.

"Rinoa." I whispered, pulling her upper body into my lap. She rested her head on my thighs and began to breathe heavily.

"Squall…use the powders…and…" She said, her eyes closing, but her hand motioning around to express the remainder of her words. She was sounding tired, and it worried me.

"Rinoa, I know, you don't have to say anymore."

I took the bag from around her shoulders, sliding it from her underneath her head, and I reached inside. The Fire, Smoke, and Mist cigarette bombs smiled at me, and in that moment they became my friends.

I twisted the cigs together and took the lighter, which was tightly secured in Rinoa's hands, and then I proceeded to the light them together.

The loud shriek from the T-Rexaur caused me to stop all movement, and I looked up as the beast had given up fighting against the dagger. With the dagger still in her eye, she stomped toward Rinoa and me. The stomping caused me to drop the lighter onto Rinoa, and I looked down for it, frantically searching with my eyes only.

"Rinoa!" Rinoa's eyes were closed still, and she hadn't made a sound since she gave me the instructions. "Rinoa, don't go to sleep! Wake up!" I yelled to her and finally saw the lighter lying beside her bosom. The T-Rexaur was now standing before us, towering us like the predator it was, and I sat still in fright.

Unable to move, I simply stared into the beasts' healthy eye and gulped the last bit of air I would breathe.

I felt the urge to beg for mercy…just as countless men did before being devoured, seeing that there was by no other means of survival. …As I had accepted my and Rinoa's fate, I felt movement from below me. To prevent sudden attacks from the T-Rexaur, I looked down with only my eyes without motioning my head, and saw Rinoa reach up to me, lighter in hand, and set fire to the three cigarettes that were in entwined in my hold.

It burned, sizzled quickly in my hand and I couldn't do anything but stare. Even though it burned quickly, time passed slowly…and I watched as it burned, second by second to the very core---

* * *

_It had been some time since we began walking home. Odine was talking gibberish, smack talk about who knows what, and I comforted my head with my hands._

"_So you say your fiancée gave you problems, right?" Odine asked me and I removed my hands from my face. "I know a way that will fix all your worries. You're a real niceguy Squall, and I know you don't deserve that kind of treatment, so I'll let you in on a little secret. I have the power to make a person disappear without a trace--"_

"_You bastard!" I quickly turned to him and punched him to the ground. "I won't have Selphie killed!" _

_I remember climbing onto him and slamming his head against the concrete sidewalk several times and screaming, "You piece of---"_

­_ Odine… screaming… Yelling…and screaming in agony---_

_Then, I felt a blunt object strike the back of my head, and I fell unconscious._

* * *

"Throw it." Rinoa muttered, bringing her hand to my neck, and I snapped out of my little daze quickly. I looked at my hand and saw that there remained only a few seconds before detonation. "Squall!" Rinoa yelped and dug her fingers into my neck. 

Without second thought, I launched the burning cigarettes at the feet of that T-Rex and pulled Rinoa closer to me. Becoming distracted by the burning paper, the T-Rexaur turned around and looked at the ground. I took this time to grab Rinoa from the ground and fight to push myself; running toward the back, away from the T-Rexaur, away from the bomb, away from my past memories.

Seconds later, the explosion occurred. It was so loud; my eardrums couldn't take in the sound of it. It sent a slight mist wave, or a harmless shockwave out before it completely detonated. I covered Rinoa's body with my own and held her closely.

As it calmed, I raised my head and looked around to be sure that I was in one piece. "…That was it?" I said while looking down at Rinoa, who had opened her eyes slowly, the mist still clouding both our visions.

"…I must have missed the other two." She said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I lit up the cigarettes, but…I probably lit up the Smoke bomb and not the others. If I had set fire to all three of them, we would have died in the explosion."

"…So if that's _only_ the Smoke bomb, what happened to the T-Rex—"

Just as I asked, the T-Rexaur's squirm echoed throughout the walls of the cavern. The squirm turned into a roar, and it tried to stand to its feet. I looked back and saw its head dragging to the ground, boosting the rest of its body, as it lay on its stomach, to put its legs into motion again. As it squealed again, the walls began to tremble and then the _ground_ trembled, and Rinoa pointed up to the top of the cavern. Tiny rocks had fallen down and crashed on the ground. If the tiny rocks could create a loud crashing effect, imagine if those tiny rocks were giant boulders—

"Squall!" Rinoa yelled while clinging to my shoulders, just as I thought, large rocks began falling from the top of the cavern. I got to my feet and taut Rinoa in my arms.

"Hold your breath, the smoke is still in the air." I said and she nodded to me slowly. I approached the bag and cigarettes on the ground next to the injured T-Rex, and reached down, carefully holding Rinoa in my one arm that still supported her; and then I used my free hand to grab up the bag and the lighter.

As more boulders fell down from the cavern's top, Rinoa got down from my hold and struggled to jump onto my back. She pointed at the half burned Mist and Fire bombs. "Light them!" She yelped, clinging to me for survival.

So I grabbed the closes bomb, the Mist bomb, and lit its tip. Hurriedly, I dropped it onto the ground and grabbed Rinoa's thighs to keep her close on my back, then limped out of the cavern, dodging falling rocks in the process.

As soon as I reached the outside light, the bomb detonated from the back of the cave. Its force pushed me onto the ground, and Rinoa screamed aloud from my back, "Squall!" After that explosion, a second was heard also, causing the cavern to crumble to the ground. Maybe the first bomb's fire detonated the other and caused that explosion? If that's the case, then that T-Rexaur is definitely a goner.

Smoke and dust poured from out of the tumbling cavern walls, and Rinoa coughed because of its ashes as she lay on my back. "Rinoa…" I said, struggling to pull her to the ground. She unwrapped her arms from around my sides and allowed me to slide her from my back. "Are you okay?" I asked, wiping a few strands of hair that had slid out of her ponytail from her face, and pushed them behind her ear as she rested her head back onto the soggy grass. Rinoa was so exhausted she could only _nod_ to me. I smiled and released a heavy sigh, resting myself also. As long as we had _both_ made it out okay, I can care less about anything else.

"Squall…we're not out of danger yet." Rinoa muttered, smirking slightly at me as though reading my mind.

"I _know_…I'm moving." I said as I pushed myself from the ground and sat on my bottom. I looked at Rinoa, as she lay injured in the grass, and sighed again, "What just happened?"

"…For once, I really don't want to know the details." Rinoa said while closing her eyes.

We both chuckled softly on the ground, pulling our arms over our eyes to block out the sun's rays of light.

* * *

Through the forest I walked with Rinoa on my back, she told me _again_ she could walk fine, but I quit believing her after I let her down when she _first _announced her ability to walk on her own; well, she tripped on her own foot and fell right into the mud. Needless to say, here I am walking with Rinoa on my back once again. 

"We're almost at the stream, want a drink of water?" I asked, motioning my head toward the running stream of clear water.

"…Yeah." She murmured against my back.

It's unusual, but things have quieted down a lot in the forest since our little adventure. Maybe we caused the T-Rexaurs in this area to flee with the boisterousness of the explosion? I really hope so.

Even though they've left us alone for now, what will we do later on?

I sighed to myself, and Rinoa may have noticed. She moved her mouth to my ear and whispered, "What's wrong?"

"…Nothing, don't worry about it."

"Squall…"

My eyes moved to the ground as I continued to walk toward the sound of the stream, "…What do we do now, Rinoa? That _was_ our one and only chance to freedom, right? So where do we go from here?"

"Put me down." She said firmly.

"…Are you sure you can walk?"

"If I can stand to listen to you complain; I _know_ I can walk."

"Rinoa?"

"…Just listen to yourself Squall, you're starting to sound like Seifer."

"No I don't!" What's with her? Everything was fine a little while ago…wasn't it?

"Yes, you do! If you had continued rambling, you were _bound _to say that there's nothing else we can do and that we're hopeless."

What else am I supposed to say? What do you want me to say Rinoa? "Well, it's the truth. What _else_ can we _do_?" She became silent, and I saw the stream coming up closely.

Thinking that she had given up on our discussion, I gratified the fact that we neared the stream, maybe then she could muse herself with a drink of water.

"…I don't want to think about it." Rinoa said, suddenly destroying all hopes I had created.

"You're just in denial."

"_Denial?_"

"…You're _saying_ that we'll live on, but you're not taking it into thought that maybe we _aren't_ meant to survive here. You're denying the fact that we _can_ die here-"

"I wish I were on my own feet, I'd _slap_ you!"

"…Too bad."

"_Squall_!" She yelled and punched my shoulder.

"Ouch! Hey, watch it!"

"No way! You deserved that punch! I can't believe you just said that, Squall! We _can_ survive here for as long as we have to. Haven't you taken the time to realize you've been alive for quite some time now?"

I released her from my back as we came within walking range of the stream. Folding my arms and staring at the ground I sighed, "Don't you realize this cycle will just go on and on until we die? I'm certain that if we keep running like we're doing, we're gonna get tired eventually…and then…"

Rinoa limped from behind me and headed to the stream, she groaned and fanned me away.

When I looked up, I saw her limping quickly, "Rinoa, stop that, you'll fall!"

"Leave me alone, I can take care of myself." She said, no doubt in my mind, she was pouting while talking.

"_Rinoa_!"

"I _said _leave me alone! You know Squall; you've got some nerve! I've looked out for you since I saved you from that T-Rex three days ago!"

Three days? Has it really been just _three_ days? …Felt like centuries… "I didn't ask you to stay with me, you _chose_ to do that!"

She was only inches away from the stream, and I had begun following her to ensure she arrived safely. "It doesn't matter! The least you could do is remain hopeful! I stayed with you when no one else even cared about you, I could've let you die! You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me!"

"Is _that_ it? So I owe you a favor now!"

"?" Just as I had predicted, Rinoa lost her step and fell forward, I quickly ran behind her and caught her in the midst of her fall.

"See? You were going to fall…" I said, smirking to myself, but I was surprised to hear Rinoa sniffling in my arms. I couldn't see her face, only the back of her head, but I knew she was crying. "Rinoa?"

"…Squall, don't become like them. Please don't. Not after what you told me earlier, please don't take back your words. You don't know how much it meant to me…" I noticed her legs had given up the support of her body and she eased herself on the ground. I got down with her and kept my arms around her, comforting her; seeing it was obvious that she needed me now. Rinoa rested her head back on my chest with a sigh, "When I first saw you…I remember you asked why I hadn't saved that man's life."

She took another breath to calm her cries and I raised my arms around her shoulders, then moved my legs around hers, thus protecting her from the cold or anything that would purposely set out to harm her in anyway. I don't know…I just feel like I need to be closer to Rinoa. She continued to speak while resting a hand on my arm, "None of the others would've asked me about him. They would have walked on as if nothing had happened. …Zell was right when he said we shouldn't let anyone become the forgotten, I've always agreed with Zell…since day _one. _I've agreedwith you _all_."

"…I don't want to sound negative, but wouldn't you already _expect_ the new bunch to arrive with higher hopes?"

"No…usually the newer arrivals die by the second night because their attitudes are so poor. You all seemed to be upbeat and dedicated, it was exactly what this place needed."

I was scared to death back then…I don't know if _that_ was upbeat…but in fear, it is _possible_ for one to accomplish many things. Take my recent battle against the mother T-Rexaur for example… "Rinoa…I'm not saying you have to be depressed about our situation, but I want you to know we may not have a chance to see the outside world again. I only want you to be aware of that."

"…I understand… I really do understand, but I'm just so tired of running." I felt her hand squeeze my arm and she began to tremble, "…I'm scared. I'm scared of this place, Squall. I can't sleep without thinking something is coming for me, and I'm tired." She turned her face upward toward me with the saddest eyes I have ever seen before, "…I'm tired of living in fear."

"…Rinoa."

"Being with you has brought me so far, I never thought I'd find a map, or find out that my father was trying to help me. I thought my dad quit when I was sentenced to this place, but you came along and exploited Seifer's secrets. Everything seemed to take off since then… You've saved my life so many times also…but Squall…I don't want to…I'm scared of giving up, I'm scared I'll let myself fall…"

She had silenced her words, and I was thankful…I didn't need a reminder of all the hell that we've been through; after all, we just survived being blown to bits just a few hours ago.

I studied her face as she continued to face me, so innocent and beautiful. I realize now that we haven't been this close since the attacks. Her body is so small and almost fragile, but easy to hold. I squeezed her in my arms and smiled, and she closed her eyes with a smile of her own.

It was at that moment, something forced my vocal chords to erupt, "…I don't know what to say to you…everything I say, you'll have words to counter, but Rinoa…regardless of what happens, I'll always stand by you."

"…Squall." She said, moving her hand into my hair as I moved in to kiss her lips softly. Her lips were soft and moist, and had brought forth one of the best kisses I had ever experienced in my entire life. I pulled her body closer to mine and deepened our kiss. Rinoa had murmured lost words in between breaths of air.

"Will you two get a _room_!"

And we both pulled away quickly. We saw Seifer standing in the distance, arms folded together, and even from far away, we saw that he wore that same _disgusting_ smirk on his face. He laughed, unfolded his arms, and had pointed to us while slapping his thigh.

"Seifer…" We both muttered angrily.

* * *

**Author's Hot Spring: (Yay, I'm relaxing my little nerves now…hehe)**

* * *

**Yes, yes, seems I should stick to the "No Promises" Motto, eh? I seem to updatefaster when I don't promise to have a chapter up. Haha! I tried to fit as much as I possibly could into this chatper, but this is what resulted: Another long chapter! Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoyed that… because it's _killing_ me! lol, I'm kidding!** **So, I apologize if its a bit weird too...** **Sorry...**

**Everything will fall into place. I've loaded chapter's 10 nd 11 with _plenty _of clues! See if you can piece together the scenario...err...Mystery!**

**So, You want to know what _I've_ concluded about this story? These people are all psychos! lol! Joking! Joking! I love these characters...lol**

**Thanks to: **

**_Yae_: Hey, great guess! I had written some of this chapter out before I submitted the first, and the mother was already in the script! lol, hmm was it _too_ obvious! lol Scary stuff indeed, I just hope this chapter doesn't seem to unrealistic…but then again…none of this is really realistic---shutting up! lol**

**_Yuleen-_ Hey, it's been awhile! Thanks for reviewing! -Holds cookies up with both hands like a champion of some sort- thanks! I'll take good care of these! Hehehe. Don't worry, you know, I'm not a _mean_ person...but…More Blood in the next chapters! Yay! lol that's sad! **

**Umm, _Ittan Momen,_ I didn't scare you with the T-Rexaurs did I? If so, I'm really sorry! Umm…want a piece of my cookie? lol **

**(I apologize, I'm really, really goofy right now, probably because its 3am _right now_…Jeez…oh well…I'm gonna read this commentary later on and _puke _from embarrassment) (Sorry about that, to those of you with weak stomachs!) **

**Please review! I want to hear from you! Thanks again! M_an I talk too much…_**

**_StardustRay_ **

**Update will follow sometime, I'm working on it, but let me rest my mind a moment. **

**There! ...I'm refreshed. :)**

**  
**


	13. Melancholia

**_This chapter...sets the stage for the others to follow, so blame me if its...weird. lol

* * *

_**

**_Between Heaven and Hell_**

* * *

****

_Chapter 12: Melancholia_

* * *

We saw Seifer standing in the distance, arms folded together, and even from far away, we saw that he wore that same _disgusting_ smirk on his face. He laughed, unfolded his arms, and had pointed to us while slapping his thigh.

"Seifer…" We both muttered angrily.

* * *

I moved from behind Rinoa after Seifer saw us together; of course, I was a little embarrassed…

"…You two make quite the team! Breaking into other peoples' things, stealing from stashes, blowing up caves, you guys are _magnificent_!" Seifer said in a comical tone.

"Whatever." I said, rolling my eyes with a sigh.

He chuckled and folded his arms, "So, are you two through with your pathetic attempts to escape?"

"Pathetic?" Rinoa questioned, wiping her arms down with the water from the stream to rid her of the mud.

Seifer smirked, "You heard me, baby." Baby? Who does he think he is?

Rinoa shook her head, and without looking up to pay him any mind, answered, "Shut up."

I folded my arms and looked away. I can't stand to hear him. Maybe he noticed my discomfort because he turned to me with a smirk, "What's the matter lover boy? Am I upsetting you?"

Containing all urges to leap at him and punch his lights out, I muttered, "I'm just trying to figure out why you're here…"

Seifer chuckled and folded his arms behind his back, "Well…you steal my map _and_ my cigarettes…and then I hear an explosion _way_ over here. …I just had to see for myself. So tell me, what is it that you've discovered?"

Rinoa stood up from the ground slowly while clearing her throat, "…There isn't any--"

"Any way to escape, is there?" Seifer finished her words with a wide grin, "You took the map and ran, and I didn't even get a chance to tell you that the map is a phony. It's based on what _people_ assumed…is was created by people who have never set foot onto this continent, people who work for your father."

"You seem to know so much about this place, why don't you tell us what you think of it?" I questioned, walking closer to him.

"There isn't any escape, and if there were, you really think that cave could be your answer?" He turned his back to me and laughed, "Yeah, kill a few T-Rexaurs, explore a cave, and then what…jump into the sea? I don't think so. Have you both forgotten we're surrounded by water? How _else_ did we get here? We certainly weren't flown here! I'm embarrassed to say that you took that map and thought you had found a way out, Rinoa. I'm ashamed of you."

"I only did what was necessary! At least I'm _trying_! I'm not just sitting around pulling everyone else' hopes down because I feel sorry for myself-"

Seifer turned to her, anger in his eyes as if he could have thrown a lick at her, but I quickly stepped beside Rinoa and glared at him. He looked at me, and softened his eyes then paced back and forth before us with that smirk again.

"Rinoa, for as long as we've been here, I thought you would know better by now. Oh yeah…and you forgot one thing too." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a flattened pouch similar to the others Rinoa's been carrying in her backpack.

I studied the pouch in his hands for a second…and then I remembered…

_There was an opened bag with **four** pouches, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a map, and two daggers similar to the kind Seifer nearly killed me with._

That's right…there were _four _pouches, how did we miss that one?

Rinoa tried to grab it from him, but he moved the bag away saying, "Nah-uh!" He teased, "Not yet! Rinoa dear, I thought you'd figure out a way to use these things properly, but seeing that you've _wasted_ most of those bags with the exploding cave, I don't really trust you with my _delicates._" He turned to me with a glare, "And I just don't trust you at all." I shot him the same look and he smiled, "See? That attitude again."

I was ready to scuffle with him, but Rinoa placed her hand on my chest and continued to question Seifer, "Seifer, what are you planning to do with that?"

"…You'll see soon enough. Right now, we'll have to wait just another day…"

"Another day for what?" I asked, but he sneered at me.

"This does _not _concern you." He said walking away and without turning back to face us, Seifer yelled with a wave of his hand, "Rinoa, we'll have a little rendezvous later on, okay sweetheart!" His almost bass voice sounded throughout the forest.

I glared at his figure as it disappeared into the woody trees of the forest. Rinoa faced me and smirked, "…Just try to ignore him, he's--"

"A pain in my—"

"Squall!" Rinoa giggled softly then took a deep breath, "…Besides, I think he'll tell me whatever it is he's scheming…"

"You're going to meet with him?"

"Why not? I've got to find out what his purpose is."

"But Rinoa, are you _sure_ you can trust that guy?"

"Don't worry Squall. I know how to handle myself, okay? What's the worry anyway? I arrived here with him, and I've been here with him before you came along so, I doubt he'll do anything to harm me."

"…I suppose." You don't know for sure. We all assume these images of one another, as trustworthy or dedicated, but does each take a moment to remember just why and how we got here? I placed my hand on my hip with a sigh.

Rinoa reassured, "Listen, I'll tell you everything he tells me, alright? Every single detail."

It's not about the information; it's about _you_: that's what I wanted to tell her. "…Rinoa." I was about to find a more suitable excuse to counter her attempt at meeting with Seifer, but…

"It doesn't matter what you say, Squall, I'm going and that's _that_!"

"Fine." I groaned and stared at the ground. "…I still don't like him."

"And I'm not saying that you should, but just this once…give him a chance."

"…Sure…whatever." Give _him_, _Seifer_, a _chance?_ Give _me_ a break. The guy nearly took me out with a dagger, what makes you think I'll trust him so easily.

Rinoa rested her hand on my shoulder to soothe my mind, "…I know you don't agree, Squall…but I have to know. Please…" Her eyes were begging me to understand, and I did, but I just don't like the idea of her seeing _him_ _alone_. What if something happens? Then what?

After taking a deep mollifying breath, I allowed my eyes to meet with hers and I smirked, "…Don't worry about me…just do what you want. I won't stand in your way."

"Thank you." She said with a smile, and I swallowed my pride and returned the gesture.

* * *

A little later, Rinoa and I had completely removed the mud from our bodies using the stream water. As helpful as it was to have mud applied to our limbs, the irritation was beginning to get the worst of even me. I couldn't take it any longer, and neither could Rinoa. So we spent about half an hour trying to wash every speck of mud from ourselves.

Afterwards, we decided to head back into the safer zone and near the tree. At least, that area seemed to be the safest place in these forests; however, as we walked, I had this unnerving feeling that we were being followed; by who or what I had no clue. Strange, we caused an explosion, yet we haven't had a single encounter since and now all of a sudden _this…_

Lightly, very faintly, I heard rumbling from behind us. I looked over my shoulder but saw nothing, "What's wrong?" Rinoa asked me, slightly limping as she walked.

"…Did you hear something?"

Her eyes were downcast; I realized she was trying to focus her listening. After a few seconds, she looked at me worriedly and asked, "…What's that?"

Closer and louder the thumping became and I recognize that pattern; it's got to be a T-Rexaur somewhere behind us.

"Squall, take this." Rinoa said while taking a cigarette from her pocket and handing it to me. "…I…can't find the lighter though." She said, taking the bag's strap from her shoulder. "I can't remember where I put it." She was about to dig into her bag but I didn't think it would be necessary to find the lighter but die by the jaws of that beast.

"No time to think about it, let's go!" I said and grabbed her hand, and we ran swiftly. Seconds after our running, the hideous excuse for a life roared above all other noises, chirps, and sounds of the forest. Rinoa and I realized that this T-Rexaur might have followed our scents from the green fields…it wanted us _dead_ because we were responsible for killing its 'Queen.'

I glanced back, and in that moment I saw the T-Rexaur leaping over rotten trees that had fallen to the ground some time ago and blocked pathways. I faced forward and resumed running, and I saw Rinoa struggling beside me. I held her hand tightly and forced her to run. "Rinoa! Come on!"

"Squall!" My name was the only thing she could speak. I gritted my teeth together and forced my strength to make her run a little faster. She screamed and I felt her catching up to my speed, but then I realized why she had suddenly quickened her pace when I glance over my shoulder once more.

The hellish fury in that T-Rexaur's eyes, the steam shooting from each of its nostrils, the quaking of its heavy feet slamming against the ground: it was like watching death riding a horse, scythe in hand, just waiting to claim our souls. And I turned back, feeling a tear blown across my face from my eye as the winds from our running carried it away.

Rinoa screamed again when we noticed the T-Rexaur rapidly approaching us. Again I realized Rinoa shouldn't be in this situation, so I calmed myself down and came up with a slight solution. Because we were running so close together, I figured it would be better if we split up. If Rinoa ran to her right and me to the left, we could easily lose that prick.

"Rinoa, we'll split up and go the opposite way on the count of three, okay!"

"…Squall!"

"There's no other way!"

"…Alright!" She yelled back.

The T-Rexaur released its hideous screech from behind us and we released each other's hands.

"On the count of three! One!" I started the count off.

"Two!" She screamed.

"Three!" We both yelled together and split from our path, and I continued to run. I ran as far as I could away from that T-Rexaur, but I realized I could still hear it's panting behind me. I yelled and forced my legs to run faster.

And it leapt twice behind me to enclose its attack against me. "It's coming." I said to myself and had dug into my pocket to pull the cigarette bomb Rinoa recently gave me. Sure, I had a bomb, but I didn't have the lighter! Rinoa has the lighter! Why did she give me a bomb and not the lighter! Wait…I was the genius that forced us to run away and not get the lighter, wasn't I?

"Dammit!"

I squeezed the cigarette in my hand and felt the powder seeping out. "Oh no!" The cigarette had been damaged, and now…that thing was approaching me quickly and I had nothing. When I looked back, I never imagined how horrifying those things really were…

It growled, its horrible screech sounding like a crowd roaring with laughter. It was laughing at me, just as I had been laughing at those convicts! This T-Rex was mocking me!

My heart raced as I threw the pouch back into the face of the T-Rexaur, and it connected. I heard the beast scream out and stop its chasing, to try and cleanse the poison from its eyes.

"What! It worked!" Before I could sigh in relief, I remembered that I still needed to get away from the T-Rex.

I cut through the forest and lost myself between hordes of trees. After a few minutes, I guess the T-Rexaur decided to give up on me. I hadn't heard its stomping in the distance, so I figured I was safe at the moment. I stopped running and leaned forward onto a tree, catching my breath for a few moments.

…I wonder what happened to Rinoa, is she safe? I'm glad the T-Rex didn't chase after her because she was injured and running slower than me… What if there were two? What if Rinoa…

"…No Squall, don't think that way. Rinoa will okay." I reassured myself. When my heavy breathing finally subsided, I stood straight and sighed, "…What _now_?"

* * *

After wandering in the forest alone, I had found the same 'haven' that I discovered some time ago. Surprisingly, it remained in the shape from before; its dark green pond, mossy grass, and muddy ground...typical. The air was much lighter here and it offered that gentle, relaxed atmosphere. Finally, I could allow myself to ease and rest for a moment.

I took a seat at the edge of the pond and moved my hand into the dirty water, boringly creating misty ripples, which unsteadied the rest of the pond. I smirked, removed my hand, and lied back in the soggy grass. Before I could have a moment of peace, I was reminded of the terrifying recent events by my own mind…

My heart pounds in my chest whenever I think about what I've been through the last few days…

Since arriving here, I've discovered more about myself; whenever I'm alone, I tend to think more than anything else. Back then I never really had time to ponder my life, I always had to do the duties of others, always had to serve and please _them_…I never once had fun for only myself, alone. There was work, my family, Selphie, and then work again…

My life was 'perfect'…and yet, it was _so_ dull. I basically lived orderly and scheduled…everything was organized, _perfectly _organized and had fallen right into place.

I hated it…

"_So you say your fiancée gave you problems, right?" Odine asked me and I removed my hands from my face. "I know a way that will fix all your worries. You're a real nice guy Squall, and I know you don't deserve that kind of treatment, so I'll let you in on a little secret. I have the power to make a person disappear without a trace--"_

Yes, I remember Odine saying those words to me, and then losing control of myself. Even though my feelings for Selphie have subsided, I guess couldn't tolerate anyone making threats against her. I wouldn't have it.

…This makes me wonder why I blanked out on the field. I kept feeling hot…like my body was on fire and burning up. I feared waking to charred skin and fingernails that had rolled back because of the searing heat. I didn't want to wake up in the cavern. I'm just thankful Rinoa was there with me. She was the only reason I had opened my eyes…she called my name.

And Rinoa…she looked worried too. Makes me wonder if something happened besides what she said.

Just moments before I had fully awakened, I heard a car. Just why in the hell did I hear car tires? There is no way a car could be in the forest, could there?

What's happening to me? I feel lost…

"Fujin!" What the hell? Who's calling Fujin? Is someone else here? I got to my feet quickly and walked toward the male's voice. "Fujin!" He said again. It wasn't Zell's voice…

I stepped on a branch and heard the male gasp suddenly. "Who's there!" He called out.

"…It's _me_, Squall! Where are you!" I yelled to him.

"Over here." I heard his deep voice not too far from me. Through the green and hazel trees I found Rajin sitting next to Fujin's body. When I approached them, I heard Fujin writhe in pain.

"What happened to her!" I asked the worried Rajin, and he sighed without looking at me again.

"I found her awhile ago. She was being threatened by a T-Rexaur. …Fujin practically gave herself to that thing and …if I hadn't arrived sooner, she would already be dead."

"Squall…" She said softly as I studied her face. Rajin had torn his shirt and tied it around her head where it covered her wounded eye. Her clothes seemed worn and dirtier than before, and she was bleeding from her face again. I covered my mouth and knelt beside her, opposite of where Rajin sat. "…Hey there." She said to me, displaying an obvious façade with her smile.

I uncovered my mouth and swallowed hard to force a salutation as well, "Hi again…"

She chuckled softly, "I guess I hung in there for as long as I could…eh?" She said, her voice growing lower with every word. "…I'll probably…I'll probably see that kid on the other side, huh…?" Does she mean Zell? If that's the case, I'd better tell her.

"Fuj, don't talk like that. You're gonna be fine, ya know?" Rajin said to her, wiping the blood from her face and squeezing her hand in his.

"Rajin…" She said with another smile. "It's alright…"

"…Zell's…not dead." I finally said.

"…What?" She looked at me quizzically, "He's still out there somewhere?"

"Yeah, he's out looking for you. Rinoa and I…we saw him just last night! Fujin, I'm sure you'll see him soon. All you have to do is hang in there just a little longer." I said, hoping she'd fight against her pain and prevail over death just to see Zell once more.

Fujin focused her attention to the sky, "…Zell's alive?" She smirked, "I knew he'd be okay. I…believed in him." She rested her cheek against the ground and sighed, "…He looked so much like my kid brother, but I guess…it's good to learn he's still alive. Well… I guess I'll be able to see him again…my brother that is…"

"Fujin…" My vocals hurt just to speak her name. I can't believe she's about to die.

"Don't worry…we have to be free…someday." With a heavy sigh, Fujin's face eased into the comfort of the earth. …She crossed over.

Rajin closed her eyelid and cried beside her face. "Fujin, no…"

…Goodbye.

* * *

"…She was in pain…terrible pain." Rajin whispered as he studied her corpse. She died just a few moments ago, but Rajin can't seem to part with his longtime friend. Brushing her blonde hairs behind her ears and smiling he continued, "…She isolated herself from everyone because of her injuries. Just as she predicted, T-Rexaurs were drawn to her blood…and they hungered for her flesh." He sobbed, "She always was that way. If Fujin had a personal problem, she would handle it on her own; …wouldn't ask _anyone_ for a lick of help. …She was strong, ya know?"

I understand. That would explain why he abandoned her after making that huge mistake in the bank robbery. I can just picture her telling him to run and fighting off the soldiers on her own. "…Yeah, I know." Because of her strength, I know Fujin probably wants to shoo him away from her body and fight for his own survival. "…Rajin, I'm sure she wouldn't want you crying for her—"

"How do _you_ know!" Rajin spat, turning to me angrily. He cradled Fujin in his arms and glared at me, "Don't you talk to me like you've known her your whole life! You know _nothing_ about Fujin!" He cried out, "She meant _everything _to me! We went through so much together…"

"…I'm sorry."

He scowled, "Shut up! Get the hell away from us!"

"Rajin I--"

"Now!"

I opened my mouth, but silenced myself and turned away from him. As I walked away, I could hear him whimpering into her lifeless body as if his tears could bring her back to life. Of course I'm sad about the death of Fujin, but I didn't mean to cause any harm.

But…Rajin was probably in shock, that's why he yelled. I don't blame him… I think I'd react the same way if someone close to me suddenly died…

I took a seat and leaned my back against a wide and darkened tree. I had stared into its evergreen leaves as its color blended with the blueness of the sky. Fujin did this just a few moments ago; she probably realized how peaceful today is, actually. "Fujin…"

She's the first of _us_ to go…the luckiest…

Fate finally caught up to her, and she accepted it without doubt; experienced the punishment she deserved, _right?_ No way did she merit death…regardless of what the media says about her, I knew Fujin…she was a warmhearted woman. The public has it all wrong about us; they don't realize we're just like everyone else. We make mistakes too, don't we? We don't deserve this…

But at least Fujin is finally at peace. Then I shouldn't cry for her, should I…?

…I felt my eyes stinging with tears and I couldn't hold back my sorrow… I moved my hand over my eyes and began to cry. "…Not like this…we can't die like this."

…The things we've done…just can't match up to this cruelty…but then… The cruelty we showed our victims…we showed no mercy, no forgiveness. We acted upon the instincts of the darkness in our hearts.

_Anything can happen when you're not feeling like your normal self._

Why are his words bothering me so much? They're beginning to haunt me…and I'm…scared… I'm afraid to know if I intentionally killed Odine. Seeing myself take down that T-Rexaur with ease proves that I have what it takes to do such a thing. Swearing and pummeling him at once, what was I thinking! If I didn't have any love for Selphie, what the hell was driving me to destroy _him_!

I shook my head. There are just too many pieces to put together. I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. Hopefully, I can figure this out…but right now, I have to find Rinoa…

"Rinoa… I have to tell her about Fujin, _now_."

**

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**

**Author's Grove:**

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**Hi everyone and sorry for the long delay. Things were rough; however, I finished another chapter. Sorry if this chapter bored you, but tension will rise next time…(hopefully not _your _tension! lol) **

**Let's see, there are only a few more to go… Anyway, here's the thank you list-**

**_Yuleen75_- Hey, my cookie collection is growing thanks to you and IttanMomen, lol. I'm glad you loved that last chapter because after this one it gets even more devastating! –snickers- lol**

**_Yae_-I'm grinning from one ear to the other! lol, I'm really glad you love the story, and its funny to hear that you left people waiting just to read! lol. Classic! I hope you liked this chapter as well.**

**_Jen_- Long time no see! Thanks for taking the time to catch up again, and also thanks for complimenting my writing. I've been trying to describe more lately, and I do hope to keep up the good work!**

**_Ayato_- Indeed. lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing my stories! It means a lot to me! And I'll have another following soon…**

**_Blue-_ -ahem- (lol) The size of the eggs…here we go. Take two pencils (or pens) and put them eraser-to-eraser, then picture a hardened eggshell around them. That should be the length of your wrist to your elbow, right? (Maybe even a few more inches longer…) T-Rexaurs hatch and are very tiny when they've first hatch. They eat one another to survive (this explains why there are so few in the forests, hehe) and their heights double every two weeks. By adolescence, they've reached the height of the adults and continue to grow. (That's why the Queen T-Rexaur's back scrapes the cavern's ceiling, lol) So…Rinoa could pick up two at one time, but in each hand…notice she smashed two together, but threw the rest of the egg on the wall because there was just so much egg to go around haha. I'm sorry I failed to explain them in detail… -sighs- oh well, I hope you got all that. lol. T-Rexaurs are really gross, aren't they? Such horrible creatures! Anyway, I'm honored to have received a review from you, but as you can see, I've out rambled you! lol. (All this space I'm taking up, I bet you guys thought this chapter was just That long, eh? lol Sorry!) Finally, I'm glad you love the story, it'll end really soon, so stick around okay?**

**_Lady-Rinoa_- Thank you! lol, that's what I love about action adventure…I can be cruel but a comedian at the same time, lol. I'm glad you like the little romance I have in the mix. I'll be sure to include more later on too. I'm glad that you updated your story as well, and I look forward to reading more. Yes, Squall and Rinoa were very unlucky and kinda still are…**

**Lol…Alright! I'm done! I'm working on the next update, so hopefully you all shouldn't wait so long! I'm sorry for the delay, but pressure was rising and I had to take a breather.**

**So tell me if you loved it hated it, who knows, I just want to know how I did this time! And if it was a drag, I'll make it up to you next chapter, promise! (Oh wait…I can't promise…lol I'm joking!)**

**Thank you!**

_**StardustRay**_


	14. Essentiality

**_Between Heaven and Hell_**

* * *

_Chapter 13: Essentiality_

* * *

The glimmering sunray in the forest only contradicted the pain I felt in my soul. A life was lost, and something as grave as death deserves no warmth from the sun. Usually the sun shines when things are _right_, and there is no hurt or pain, but today the sun's rays seem like searing leeches; heated, loafing leeches that burn my body, only to make me ponder how long I might have before even _I_ suddenly give myself like an offering to a T-Rexaur, simply because the thought of inevitable death is comforting! This heat…it makes it feel like this place really is hell. Once again, I found myself wanting to be drenched by the rain…to be engrossed in its healing glory, to be completely alleviated from _everything_. 

I ran for some time now, and quickly passed the area where Rinoa and I parted just an hour ago, still Rinoa was nowhere in sight. Maybe she found Seifer? The thought of Seifer and Rinoa triggered some unknown source of energy within my being, and forced me to move quickly in the forest.

The ground had stiffened where the mud no longer usurped its surface with moistness; few leaves from the trees occasionally fell below and crunched beneath my feet as I ran with haste, and the shade from those leafy trees provided me with a bit of coolness between my dash. Though the rain isn't present, the trees have assumed its role in calming my heart.

I'm thankful to have the forces of nature on my side, but I get the feeling I'm intruding somehow. My heart's quickening its pace and not because of my running, something's there…I just know it. And I ran between the tall darkened trees with even more greenery…weird, it's certainly _too_ colorful around here…

I heard someone speak…and then I slowed my pace down. A deeper voice followed a softer one, but I'm unsure of what was spoken. Quickly after catching my breath, I decided to approach the mysterious sounds from afar.

Finally I saw the figures emerge into my view, but then…those figures couldn't possibly be true. I saw up ahead of myself…was Selphie, and she was embracing that guy…Irvine. She rested her face against his body and had a smile on her face that sickened me within a matter of seconds.

"Selphie…" I whispered, only to have the ominous mist in the air absorb my words. Suddenly that peaceful yet agonizing sunlight vanished, and there was darkness…the only thing I saw were those two, embracing as if their lives depended on it. And my thoughts…those gruesome thoughts of mine, immediately returned to me…not spontaneously, no…I _summoned _these thoughts here: I _needed_ them. And I recalled…

_Have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever had all of the blood in your body pump to your brain at an incredible speed, which causes your entire body to feel as though it will combust?_

I have been hurting for so long because of what she did to me! Every single day I had to push those stupid feelings of mine aside just to be sure they wouldn't become my death. I forced myself to push on, gave myself false hope to get off of this continent…and then what? Why am I so _eager_ to escape?

The answer is obvious…and in reality, _I_ was the only one in denial…

Though my body trembles at the sight of those two, and I feel only pain in my heart, I surprised myself with sly grin because the answer easily rolls off my tongue…

"…_I _wanted you dead, Selphie."

As those irreplaceable words left my mouth, I had charged toward the embraced couple with a newfound anger I never thought a person like _me_ could possess. As I ran, my body had been enveloped in balefulness, and it seemed as if I had withered away.

I remember attacking the male first, yes, Irvine as I recalled correctly; I wanted to cause _more_ damage to him above all else. I despised him, and I wanted to see him suffer. He _deserved_ it!

Why was _I_ judged and punished for being the victim! It wasn't fair! When Selphie took the stand, no one paid attention to the fact that she slept with another man! They overlooked her because she seemed so innocent and wouldn't hurt a fly. The media, the judge, _and_ the jury were fooled by that wicked charade she pulled on the stand. She made everyone believe her to be an angel, and I…the devil himself-

"Squall!" A violent shake followed by gusting air overtook my being.

I felt myself tumbling across the ground, and then someone was standing beside me. My vision was blurry when Selphie stooped down beside me…but something was different about her. Her short brown hair instantly stretched and was now long and black…her eyes were no longer emerald…but were now brown. Selphie's face…was now Rinoa's…

"What's wrong with that stupid idiot?" I heard Seifer yell from over yonder, it sounded as if he too had been on the ground. What happened? "I told you he couldn't be trusted, Rinoa! Didn't I!"

"Shut up Seifer! He didn't know!"

Know what? Was I supposed to know something? Can someone just tell me what happened? Finally, the sun beamed directly into my eyes and I screamed out. Rinoa covered my face with her hand, which had begun to tremble instantaneously.

"I don't _care_ anymore! There's no way I'm taking a psychopath out of here! I'll be happy when he's rotting here by himself, Rinoa! I don't know what you saw in him, but he's only trouble!"

"_Seifer!"_ She yelled back to him.

"TROUBLE!" He shot back. I heard Seifer's voice raise, and the heaviness of his steps approaching me. I couldn't move…I felt paralyzed on the ground. Seifer leered down at me and I closed my eyes, forcing myself to move at least one of my limbs, but nothing worked. "You _Idiot_!" He yelled and kicked my side hard.

I had been a prisoner to my own body; as much as I wanted to move, I couldn't; nor could I scream from the excruciating pain he caused with that kick. I gasped aloud and felt tears leaving the corners of my eyes after shutting them upon receiving the hit. "Seifer!" Rinoa yelled again, it sounded as if she stood from my side and pushed him back. "Stop!"

"The look in his eyes, Rinoa…I know madness when I see it! How did _you _miss _that_! The guy's a maniac!"

"He was lost and he called out to someone else! He didn't know it was either of us!"

"I don't care!"

"Well hitting him won't solve a thing! So why don't you take a short walk and cool off, okay?"

"…When I get back, that punk better not be here. Do you understand me?"

"Sure, now go away!" She yelled. When the pain subsided, I opened my eyes and stared into the sky, allowing the truth to settle; I was in fact a maniac. Almost three times now I've passed out and did something completely idiotic… "Squall…" Rinoa said as she stooped down beside me once again. I pretended to ignore her, hoping she'd go away, but she touched my forehead and sighed. "…Are you alright?"

I never moved my eyes to meet hers; honestly, I didn't want Rinoa's face within my view, and so I continued to stare into the sky. If Selphie just morphed into Rinoa…then could it have been Rinoa the entire time? My mind has played another trick on me enough I suppose…

"Who's Selphie?" Rinoa asked. My eyes automatically focused on her now and I groaned without replying to her. "…You kept yelling her name over and over when you attacked us just now."

If I attacked you _just now_, then why do you sound so calm Rinoa? I didn't ask her, but I wanted to… Besides, I already know the answer to that question anyway. I guess being in the comfort of Seifer's arms; she feels she can take on anything with his support. Why was she embracing him?

"…Squall, I'm sorry if I offended you." I can't take it…apologies mean _nothing_ to me… What can those few words offer? Selphie mouthed the same thing to me when I was dragged out of the courtroom and chained like an animal to be sent _here_. So I think its quite obvious that I…-

I don't give a damn about an apology.

I was finally able to move my body slightly, and I forced myself from the ground, sitting up and resting back on my hands to gather the remainder of my strength. As soon as I can stand, I'm leaving…

"Squall…?"

I'm at the point where I really don't care about any of this, or anyone _anymore_… Everything I become aware of either triggers a bad nerve or lost memories from my past that I forcefully pushed from my mind. All this madness descends me deeper and deeper into hell, and I'll end up going crazy or dying by my own sickness. I said once before that I wouldn't be able to live with who or what I am…at this moment, that statement is tolerable.

Would it really matter if I told her about Selphie or not? It's not like it would help much to hang on to that pathetic memory…

I sighed and closed my eyes, "…Selphie…a woman I had been involved with for one entire year, she…" I took another deep breath and forced myself to continue, "…cheated on me with another man. I caught her in bed with him…"

"Oh Squall-" My eyes shot opened and I glared at her, she gasped and covered her mouth. I could see my reflection in each of her pupils, my face was burning red and my eyes appeared crimson. I continued to stare into her deep pools of sorrow, and never allowed my face to ease its pressure.

"I watched her with him, in _our_ bed…" …Truly Rinoa, you will _never _understand what that feels like.

She sat closer to me. Why is she getting closer? Shouldn't she move away? If not, I'll force her away from me…I don't want her near me right _now_ or ever...

"Get back…" I said, my voice as husky as the dry air looming around us. She looked at me quizzically, but stayed where she sat. "Rinoa, get away from me, _now_." I ordered.

"…No." She said quietly. "I know what you're thinking Squall. You think I'm betraying you by being with Seifer, don't you? It's so obvious." I was silent, speechless…_guilty._ My _own _words have a way of returning to laugh at me…don't they?

I groaned and turned away from her eyes. "Don't look away from me, you _know_ it's true!" She said while placing her hand on my cheek and turning my face to meet hers again. "Squall, I would _never_ do that to you." I forced my eyes to avoid her. "Look at me, _dammit!"_ By the tone in her voice, I knew she was upset, maybe even hurt as well. I slowly moved my eyes back to her face once again and found that she had tears rolling down her cheeks. "He just told me that he's come up with a plan and I'm confident that it will work. …I get so excited some times that I tend to embrace people without second thought. I thought you'd figure that out by now." She displayed a soft smile that somehow eased my frowning. Her hand was now gliding across my face as she continued, "…Seifer was wrong about you. He looks at people and only sees the worst in them, but I…I choose to see the best."

She moved her hand and embraced me as I sat completely still and speechless on the rough ground. I cleared my throat with a groan, and she giggled softly. "That wasn't the first time you tried to attack me, that's why I'm not as shaken up as Seifer is. Just between you and me, you scared the daylights out of him."

I couldn't help the slight smile that played upon my lips. I took pleasure in the fact that I gave Seifer something to worry about. For once, _I_ was a pain to _him_. "…I was that bad, eh?" I asked quietly.

"You were terrible!" She laughed, but quickly shushed herself, "I'm sorry…I know it's not funny…" She said while looking up at me.

I shrugged my shoulders with a grin, "I don't mind." But then I realized Rinoa said it wasn't the first time I had attacked her. "…How many times have I…?"

She rested her head on me once again with a sigh, "On the plains and in the cave you punched at me, but you never actually hit me. You were mumbling something too! …And when you defeated the T-Rexaur on the plains, you whispered continually 'it wasn't me.' Were you trying to tell me something?"

I'm not sure. "I don't know." As crazy as it might sound, I probably _knew_ what was going on… To talk while in the darkest depths of the heart, I must have had a conscience in those times of my blackouts. "Rinoa…did I say anything else?"

"Of course, you told me to shut up once, _and_ you were screaming a lot. You kept repeating, 'I hate you' but it looked like you were talking to the T-Rexaur. …I don't know Squall; you were in the heat of battle…that's what _I_ concluded. You swore a whole lot too…" Rinoa spoke with hints of uncertainty in her voice.

"I don't know why…but I kept feeling like I was about to explode."

"…Well, we were using those bombs. I'm thinking the heat from one of those explosions got to you."

"…No, I it wasn't external heat, I felt it inside, internally." I motioned my hand to my chest.

"…How?"

"I can't explain it…really." I moved my right hand and scratched the back of my head, "…I heard car tires too."

"Um…" She looked up at me quizzically.

"I'm not crazy, okay!" I said and she laughed while shaking her head.

"…I didn't say anything." She said with a smirk, "…A car?"

"Rinoa, please."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!"

"_You'_re sorry? For what, _he's_ the one who should be sorry." Seifer's voice roared from behind us. I sighed and rolled eyes. Rinoa laughed again and sat up to meet with Seifer.

"Seifer, he's okay now."

"You think I care?"

"Not really, but I'm letting you know anyway. I told him about the plan."

Plan? We have a plan? I don't remember—

"You little blurt mouth—"

"There's nothing you can do because he's coming with us and it's final!"

"See if I care, just fill him in and let's go----

_Put him in and let's go!_

What the? What was that? Who said that? Put him in and let's go? "…Damn!" I yelled in aggravation, Seifer and Rinoa stopped their conversation and had probably stared at me; I felt their eyes against my back. 

I stood from the ground slowly and turned around to see them, sure enough, they were staring at me. Pushing away my sudden thoughts, I glared at Seifer, "You think I'll go along with any plan of yours? I'm only here to stay with Rinoa, and that's all."

"…What's the matter? Selphie wasn't enough for you?"

"…What?" I asked, slighting approaching him.

Seifer chuckled and folded his arms, "…You heard me. Judging by what you said while 'attempting' to injure me, I'd say she was the love of your life." He mocked my voice with a teasing finish, "Oh Selphie how could you? How could you sleep with Irvine? How could you do this to me? …I wanted you dead."

"Damn you!" I yelled and ran toward him, tackling him to the ground. I held my hands on his throat and choked him with a violent shake.

"Wait!" He chucked between my shakes.

"Squall!" Rinoa cried from beside us. No, I hadn't blanked out again; I _knew_ exactly what I was doing. Choking this bastard was something I personally didn't mind. "_Squall!"_

Veins were beginning to pop out of his head and he was turning beet red, and then finally, when I felt satisfied that he had learned his lesson, I released him with a violent slam against the ground. Without moving from over him, I glared. He held his throat and returned the glare to me. "What's the matter Seifer? You didn't expect that, _did _you?" I teased.

"…I was right…you _are_ a crazy bastard." He said, still holding onto his throat. "They probably called off the plan because of _you_."

"What are you talking about?"

"…Odine."

Odine? What plan? What's he talking about? "What about Odine?" I asked, rising from over him.

Seifer smiled, "…Even if you weren't there, you probably thought about doing it."

…I don't understand. "…What are you saying?" I looked down at him as he shifted his weight to his elbow.

"I mean, its reason enough. You can't hold your inner feelings so well, and so…you go around attacking people because they make you mad."

"Quit talking in riddles! What the hell are you trying to say!"

"…Fine…" He sighed and sat up as I moved back from him, "…Caraway had been visiting me for some time when I was locked away. He always updated me on his new plans and intentions… I could've cared less about his new agenda, but I only paid close attention to his scheme against Odine." Seifer smirked and looked at the ground, "Odine was the type of guy to push others around because he had a stinky life."

I guess I agree with that, I mean, I _did_ meet him in the bar. He was probably drinking away his sorrows too. Seifer continued, "Anyway, Caraway's goons found out that Odine took an interest in the Timber Maniacs magazine. Somehow, he would be able to ask a journalist to become a detective and take notes about the behaviors of people around the world. He would use the journalist to do his dirty work so that he could exploit criminals in their illegal trading and such…pretty sneaky stuff, right?"

"I'll say." I agreed.

"Well…he had arranged a meeting with the head honcho over at Timber Maniacs." _Easy_, that's my dad you're talking about. "And sometime later, the two of them met. Actually, they met up the morning of the day Odine was later murdered."

"Seifer, did my father know something about his death?" Rinoa said, walking slowly to the nuisance on the ground.

"I'm getting there, sweetheart." He said with a grin, and I gritted my teeth fiercely. I shook it off and took a deep breath. Seifer faced me with a grin again, "Sorry, did I offend—"

"Get back on subject!" I ordered.

"Sheesh." He fanned his hand at me with a wide grin, "Listen up, Odine hardly ever left his office so as he was visiting in Timber, a plan had been devised to take him down. Now I don't know much about the plan or what happened, but I can tell you it was obviously successful."

"How can that be possible?" I questioned allowed, rubbing the back of my head to ease my mind. I was there, wasn't I; I had slammed his head against that sidewalk. I killed Odine, didn't I?

"…To tell you the truth, I really don't know any more. Caraway told me that Rinoa and I would be avenged, should we not escape the continent alive."

"I don't get it. He was there…struggling in my grasp…I…" I turned away from Seifer and Rinoa and left them behind.

I could hear Seifer laughing and yelling, "I said it before and I'll say it again, you're lucky you were drunk! People _can't_ forget something like murder, it's just impossible!"

But I haven't forgotten…I remember everything… He was screaming but then…

I stopped in my tracks and stared at the ground, trying to relive my past…the murder I committed. I was there…I _know_ it…

"Squall." I heard Rinoa speak from behind me. She placed both of her hands on my shoulders and leaned closely against me. "Maybe you've misjudged yourself all along. You could be innocent after all."

_Me?_ Innocent?

I stood there a moment, contemplating the meaning of innocence.

Throughout these few days I've discovered more about myself than I never imagined. …Jealousy, hatred, and pain all played back and forth within my mind. Those emotions caused me havoc and chaos, and forced me to black out continuously. I came here believing that I was innocent, yet I learned that I possess the mind of a killer…

I am fully convinced that I've taken a life, and will probably do so in the future, thanks to Seifer…

What if Caraway really had Odine killed? Wouldn't I be innocent then?

But maybe it was meant for me to be here… My life was going down the drain anyway, what difference would it make anyhow? I ought to become dinner for one of the T-Rexaurs right this minute.

And even if I was innocent, would use is it to me _now_? I've been judged; I'm _here_ for crying out loud!

The murder…I was drunk at the time it happened, and I had expressed physically what I felt in my heart. I took Odine's life…easily…all while being under the influence---

_**Anything** can happen when you're not feeling like your normal self. _

…Is that so? …Is there really hope for me? Speaking of hope…I completely forgot about Fujin… 

"Rinoa…?"

"…Yeah?" She answered, still behind me.

"Fujin…she…"

"…No…"

I sighed and lowered my head as Rinoa dug her fingers into my shoulders. She cried against my back, "Fujin."

"Rin…" I placed my hands on hers and turned around to face her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I held her closely. "I'm sorry."

She continued to cry and had squeezed her arms around me, "I can't believe it…no…until I see her body, I won't believe it."

* * *

I led Rinoa back to where Raijin sat with her, but the only thing that remained was the shape of Fujin's body in the dirt. It seemed as though she had been picked up by no other than Raijin. 

"Where did she go?" I asked allowed, and Rinoa looked at me worriedly. We both looked around, but saw no sign of Fujin or Raijin. "I don't get it. They were right here when I left his area earlier."

"You don't think Raijin's run into trouble, do you?"

"…I don't know…I hope not."

"Yo! Thought I told you to leave!" Raijin yelled as I felt my arms being grabbed behind my back.

"Hey!" Rinoa yelled and went to push him away from me, but he kicked her to the ground. "Aaaagh!"

"Rinoa! What are you doing, Raijin?" I shouted trying to free myself from his grasp.

"This place doesn't need any creeps like you." He spat into the back of my neck."

"Let go of me!" As much as I tried to fight him off, he kept his grip tighter. Rinoa pointed at Raijin and gasped aloud, when I suddenly heard a snap. Raijin's hold on me suddenly released and I heard that familiar laugh.

"…To say you two have slain T-Rexaurs…I'm disappointed that you let _that_ guy pick on you." Seifer…need I say anymore?

Raijin, is he dead I wonder? Where has this guy been for all those days? He suddenly appears from nowhere and attacks us like we're longtime rivals… Just what exactly happened to Fujin's body?

"Well now…don't worry your little eyes Rinoa, he's only asleep. I'll need everyone if I want this plan to work properly." Oh, Raijin's okay… I sighed.

Rinoa put her hand down finally, but began to tremble on the ground, crying out, "Fujin died!"

"Wha-Fujin?" Seifer uttered.

Rinoa nodded to him as I turned to face him now. He turned his back to us and knelt down on the ground. For a moment, we heard a slight struggle of words from Seifer, but then he groaned and stood from the ground, "May she rest in peace." He mumbled to himself, but I clearly made out his words.

I looked back at Rinoa and saw her crying into her hands, and I sighed taking a knee before her. I placed my hand on her back trying to ease her mourning, and she quickly embraced me while continuing to cry.

I could see Seifer looking at us, but glaring at _me_. He snorted, "Forget about Fujin, there's nothing we can do. Time's running out now so listen up!"

Obviously he had tried to cover up his sadness with anger, but I pretended to take interest in his words, "Rinoa do you want to _live!_ Stop that useless crying!"

It hurt to admit, but I agreed with him… I needed to hear his plan to escape more than mourn. I've already said my goodbyes to Fujin; I don't want to go through again. The plan…

It's essential that I get out of here alive…that _we_ get out here alive. In _my_ case, the seat I had occupied in the vessel wasn't in fact my seat, but _Caraway's_ seat instead…

I felt my eyes glare as if I had seen Caraway walking passed us in the flesh. If I _am_ innocent, then that bastard will pay the price… It's my life or his…

I squeezed his daughter in my arms and kissed her forehead tenderly. _When _we escape, I'll have to handle a few things on my own… Now if Seifer would hurry up and spit out the plans, maybe we could get somewhere…

* * *

**Author's Base: (I'm on strict probation, I can't exceed 5ft from my computer, lol) **

* * *

**Hello, hello! I'm really shocked about that last chapter, I thought you all would hate me for that one! I'm so glad! (Although…a certain death produced more than a few sad faces…I'm sorry about that. I liked her too!) However, tension rises on _this_ chapter now… **

**Anyway, I'm trying to wrap it up, but so many things keep popping up and I don't want to leave anything out! So, you guys better hope it's not as long as Clash of the Gardens, lol, I'm just kidding! It won't be long, but yeah…there are more than two following after this chapter!**

**Hey, let me know if it was okay, bad, good, great, excellent! (P.S. Keep the cookies coming, please! lol…and uh…anyone notice Squall's gradual change in thinking?)**

**-Thank you-**

**_Orestes_-Thanks, I'm glad you love the story! Yeah, this and few of the other stories I'm writing all take a unique element from FF8 ( in this case, its that completely exotic forest north of Esthar, the T-Rexaurs, and of course the weird sides of these characters, lol, all which help birth this story!) I'm working really hard on it, and I'm glad it's paying off! And I'm sorry that it's going to be short…:( **

**_Lady-Rinoa_- I know! She shouldn't have died! Oh, Squall and Rinoa almost had a fall out, but never fear…they're all right for now! (Hey, sure you can finish your story; so don't let anyone stop you! You really have a good plot, just keep writing and think nothing of what others might say against you, okay? Besides, if someone did say something that seemed a bit harsh, they probably didn't mean it to sound that way. Anyway, just have fun and release your imagination:))**

**_Yuleen_-Fujin will always be in our hearts. Hey, hey, more cookies! Yeah! lol I hope you liked this chapter. I had a weird time putting this one together…and I mean, _really_ weird! I hope it wasn't too confusing either…(My brain hurts…) Oh yeah, Seifer's so annoying! –grins- it's not the end of the story yet….**

**_Jen_- Hah, sickening, isn't it? Guess what, the Queen T-Rex will eat _them_ if she can't find anything else and is really hungry at the moment! That's terrible! lol. Hey, don't cry, I'm sorry about Fujin…seriously! But…Please don't _glare_ at me, I'll hide in fear and never return! lol**

**_Ayato-_Yeah! I didn't know what to expect….I just hope this one was good too. I'd hate to let anyone and everyone down, hopefully I haven't!**

**Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read! I really appreciate it! And feedback, feedback, I need it somehow. lol **

**Well everyone, if this chapter is confusing…or just plain chaotic, I'm really sorry. So flame me if you will… :P hehe**

**Wow, this commentary thing just keeps getting longer and longer. I talk an awful lot, don't I? lol ****Anyway, the update will follow sometime! Hopefully not too long a wait, though. So, I'll be on my way now, and thanks again!**

**_StardustRay_**


	15. Woe

_Before I begin, I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed and supported thus far. You guys are wonderful! So, Thank you! –eyes begin to water- …Okay…on with the show…(and Of course I've talked at the bottom too, lol) Also, **beware** of the chaotic events happening second upon second in the midst of this chapter…Please bear with me…_

* * *

**_Between Heaven and Hell_**

* * *

_Chapter 14: Woe_

* * *

Seifer took a deep breath and sat beside Raijin's body on the ground, the guy still hadn't waken up since Seifer put him to sleep. Rinoa had satisfied her curiosity a few moments ago by placing her fingers on his neck to find a pulse. When it thumped against her index and middle fingers, she pulled her hand back with a smile. She had quieted her cries for Fujin recently, and became concerned about Raijin. I understand she doesn't want any of us injured, but Raijin kicked her to the ground earlier… She needn't concern herself with his status. Even _I _can care less if he stays there for _eternity_… 

"After taking a considerable amount of time studying this place, I've found that the only way out, is the way we came in." Seifer had finally broken the long silence between all of us.

"…By vessel?" I asked, folding my arms.

"Correct." Seifer said with seriousness and he continued, "We'll wait for the next arrival, which should happen _soon_ by the way, and raid the ship once it's docked."

"_Raid?_ Isn't that a bit extreme? We've all seen the vessel's functions already, so how can we stand against those defense barriers?" I questioned Seifer, and he looked at the ground with a smirk.

"The _vessel_ is designed to free the passengers _and_ protect the warden at the same time. The only special thing those yellow barriers are good for is protecting Esthar's precious creations." He chuckled a bit, "And even _those _shields have weaknesses…"

"_Weaknesses_, what kind of weakness?" Rinoa asked as she stood from the ground. Raijin had shifted in his position, and raised his head from the crusty dirt. He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck and quizzically staring at Rinoa and me. With a sudden yawn and a grunt noise, he sat back against a tall brown tree planted in the ground right behind him. …I guess he doesn't feel like attacking any of us again, seeing that we've gathered around like knights of some sort.

After a long pause in the explanation, Seifer shrugged his shoulders and continued, "It's only a simple barrier. Find the right control function, and we _could_ destroy it; that's where this little pouch of goodness comes into play." He said, revealing the smashed pouch in his hand. " …A minor explosion can damage the barrier's switch causing it to wear off, and as it's dying we'll use that time to attack the warden, and claim the vessel for ourselves."

Well, that's logical, but it's not that easy, Seifer. "…I remember seeing the warden press some type of button from his uniform, it _must_ be the switch."

"Yeah _smart guy_, the portable switch is located on the warden himself, but the main control lies on the vessel's side. It's placed there in case the warden has any type of trouble activating the portable switch. In times of danger _or_ if his flashy uniform suddenly gets _dirty_, he could just access it right outside of the vessel. Convenient enough for you? " Seifer said matter-of-factly, but I looked away.

Rinoa gasped excitedly. "I get it! If we aim the bomb toward the back wing of the vessel where the main control device is, we could incinerate its valve; then the barrier will fall and we'll be able to board the ship!" She said with a smile.

"Exactly." Seifer confirmed.

I sighed, "You call this a _plan!_ There's more to those vessels than what meets the eye! It's obvious that it's equipped with defenses, but the vessel moves at incredible speeds. Don't you think it could get out of there before we even have a chance to strike?"

"He's right. At the drop-off from the beginning, I saw it disappear and left us all for dead too." Raijin added. He's actually caught on to what we're talking about already. Seifer looked at us both and shook his head.

"If you actually believe the ship can move so fast, that it takes off and vanishes before your very eyes, then shut up and listen, the vessels aren't _that _fast; they _actually_ _disappear_. This completely obscure camouflage system is fully functional by the wardens. …You really believe Esthar would want the entire world to know about their stealth advantage? Even the media has no idea it exists!"

Finally, I just had to ask, "…How do _you_ know so much about this?"

"Hold it right there." He pointed to me, "I'm from Esthar, okay? How many times do I have to say that? …As an innocent Estharian, I was among the first to witness Odine's criminal direction. We, of Esthar, had the advantage of being the first to know about Odine's plans of the new criminal law. Because I wasn't exactly _innocent_, I listened carefully to the details of his newly built Convict Vessel. Plus, I have a few friends in the army, so that would explain the _extra_ details."

"Do you think you've learned everything about them?" Rinoa asked as she softened her concerned voice, "Seifer, I want to be sure we can rely on this information."

"…C'mon doll face, you'll have to take me seriously sometime." His persistent nicknaming is really starting to drive me mad…

Rinoa sighed and turned away from him, "…Like I said, I only want to be certain…that's all."

"Nothing's wrong with that, but let me finish explaining…and from now on, _no_ interruptions from _anyone_. I'm tired of answering your stupid questions… Anyway the sooner we get done here, the sooner we'll part because the T-Rex can easily pick up our scents." We all nodded in agreement and listened to him continue, "Good, I'll try to make it quick." He cleared his throat, "The shipment of convicts has increased within the last few weeks. At first it was every four weeks, but recently the schedule has changed to weekly arrivals. That's a drastic change if you ask me. At first this sentence was rare, so hardly anyone was sent here…" He mumbled, "Lucky bastards." Seifer groaned and continued, "But now that the sentence is more _common_, more people are arriving here suddenly."

"Even if there are as few as four convicts, the sail will continue…" Rinoa added dryly.

"Right…now because of this, we're to wait until the next arrival and move in." He smiled and looked at each of us grimly, "Remember the electrical barrier surrounding us that Fujin mentioned before? …The Warden actually lowers that barrier only when the convicts first enter the forest. Once that barrier is lowered, we can charge in. Now listen up, Rinoa, you were right about the ship's foghorns before, they're loud and sound throughout the forest for a reason; they tend to draw in more T-Rexaurs. With the T-Rexaurs' attentions captured by the sound of the horns, they'll really have an appetite for flesh and blood. We'll take advantage of this by letting the T-Rexaurs have fun with the new arrivals…" He smirked, "With those goofballs out of the way, the warden should have followed his routinely schedule and become invisible. Rinoa, I want you to launch the already ignited bomb between the warden and vessel, okay?"

Rinoa nodded, "Alright."

"When the barrier vanishes, we'll all run in and cause a head on collision against the warden with whatever weapon we can find. The Warden didn't seem all that tough to me when I first met him some weeks back, so he should fall pretty easily. Now after getting him out of the way, we'll secure the barrier around the forest once again and set the ship's course to wherever we want. After that, we're home free."

We all sat in silence, each unsure if the 'simple' plan could actually work. I scratched my forehead and sighed, "…That's your plan?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"…Um…" Rinoa cut in, walking toward Seifer as he was sat on the ground still, "…You really think this will work? All we've got are two daggers and a few bombs left…"

"Are you doubting me?"

"…Seifer, I don't feel confident about it."

"Fine! If you have a better idea, you come up with something!" He stood from the ground angrily and yelled, "I don't care who wants to escape, but I do know that when those horns sound, you bastards better make yourselves present at that docking point!" And with that, he stormed off.

I whistled as he left, my special way of saying, 'Calm down, we're just concerned…'

* * *

"You really think it will work?" Rinoa asked me as she sat on a large branch of the tree. 

I sighed, "…I can only hope." I heard Rinoa break a small branch she had held in her hands since we walked toward the climbable tree. We took advantage of the fact that we were back in the safer zone and decided to rest there.

"I'm glad Seifer has an idea, but…I'm a little skeptical about it. I have a bad feeling about this plan…"

"Rinoa, I know you're nervous, hell we all should be, but try not to think that way. …All this time you've been fighting for a way to freedom, and now that there's a golden opportunity, you're ready to throw in the towel."

"No, I'm not ready to give up…" I heard her voice traveling, and when I looked around the tree, she was gone. She giggled, her voice coming from beneath me and I looked down seeing her standing on a slim tree branch somewhere under my own. I smirked as she began climbing up to the branch I sat on. She sat down between the tree and I and rested her head against the bark of the tree. "…Where will we go when we're at sea out there? I've been thinking about that ever since we took on the cavern."

I muttered, "…Dreaming about the future will only scare you today." It was something my dad always told me. The things I wanted to see, my goals, and pathways…he was right; whenever I thought about where I could be tomorrow, I felt my mind trembling with both fear and excitement. I often wondered how a person like me could get so far, and I sometimes felt like I couldn't live up to my goals. Finally, I had pushed aside those fearful thoughts and began to motivate myself everyday to take one step at a time: one day at a time. "…Let's concentrate on the strategy first."

Rinoa groaned and dug her fingers into her thighs.

"What's the matter?"

"…Frustrated." She said huskily.

I moved my hand to hers and grabbed it from her thighs. "Don't take it out on your _legs_, okay?" She instantly squeezed my hand with both of hers and looked into my eyes. Something had definitely bothered her. "Rinoa?"

"…Promise me you won't leave me behind?"

"What's this all of a sudden?" At first she _wanted_ me to leave should there have been trouble…

"If things go wrong or…or if I can't make it—"

"Rinoa, don't be silly. You're getting on that vessel."

She smiled, "But afterwards…like when we make it to our destination…"

Maybe she's terrified of what's to come. I can't blame her. I feel a bit afraid as well, I mean, there's no way any of us really knows what to expect. I only want to get even with Caraway; after all, he's the reason behind all this nonsense for me. _He_ screwed up my life.

After understanding what Rinoa was trying to say, I smiled and pulled her closer to me. She rested her head on my shoulder with a soft sigh as I answered, "…I promise."

-------------------

Night finally fell onto the forests, and the crickets began to sing their songs. I hadn't heard this much noise since the first time we walked through the forest together. I was afraid of everything back then, but as time passed on, the daily need to survive became everyday life. I can't lie and say that I'm not afraid now, but I realize I can trust myself a bit more than usual.

Because of Rinoa, I learned more than a few survival tips… She's helped me along in this fight for my life, so I guess it will be my turn to help her once we escape. I squeezed my arm around her side as she slept on my shoulder. We were still sitting high in the tree and out of harm's way, but I wasn't tired enough to fall asleep like Rinoa had. She really meant she was tired…

I may as well enjoy her company while it lasts; I know when she learns of my intentions dealing with her father, she'll hate the very sight of me…

And I promised I wouldn't leave her, yet I want to kill her father, a man she loves deeply.

"…Caraway." I muttered into the night air, and Rinoa shifted in her sleep. Maybe she's uncomfortable…

Suddenly, a change in the wind occurred, and the crickets stopped their night songs. I heard dozens of birds take flight from the trees nearby, and then I heard some type of sound in the distance. It _sounded_ again and I realized it was the alerting blow of the foghorn. Wait a minute; it can't be the foghorn, can it? We weren't expecting that thing to arrive until another day or two… Why in the hell is it docking _now_? We don't even have the pouch Seifer wanted Rinoa to use…we're so unorganized. Why _now?_

It blew again, and I allowed my ears to take in its mournfully depressing cry. My arm around Rinoa began to tremble, and I swallowed my breath hard while whispering, "Rin, wake up. It's…It's here."

She raised her head and opened her eyes slowly, "What did you say?"

"…The vessel…it's…"

"Are you serious?" She asked suddenly, her voice sounding as if she had instinctively woken up. "We have to go, now!"

"Yeah." I nodded to her slowly, and we began to head down the tree. As I jumped to the bottom and landed on the ground, I held my arms out so Rinoa could jump too, and when she fell in my arms she smiled to me.

"…Don't forget about our promise." She told me with that same smile, a smile I felt terrible to betray… With a deceitful spirit looming over me, I lied, "I won't forget." Rinoa pulled my face down near hers and kissed me softly. For a moment, I knew I didn't deserve to kiss her, but as she continued, I moved my mouth with hers ravenously. She stepped back against the tree as I moved closely with her, but suddenly we both pulled away.

"We have to go." We both said in unison. I grabbed her hand and we ran toward the sounding foghorns in the short distance.

* * *

As we ran to the dock, we suddenly realized we weren't alone. Rinoa shrieked when we saw two T-Rexaurs running beside us headed in the same direction. I pulled Rinoa to my other side so the beasts wouldn't attack her. When we switched positions, the T-Rexaurs finally discovered us and had decided to take us as their snacks instead. 

"Rinoa, keep running toward the docking port!"

She didn't answer, but continued to run as I stopped and changed direction. Both T-Rexaurs hadn't noticed Rinoa as she ran because she was basically behind me.

I ran as fast as I could back in the opposite direction of Rinoa. I heard what sounded like two voices struggling with the same hopeless situation.

"Aaaagh!" Could it be Zell's voice?

"Zell!" I yelled aloud, and I heard him scream again.

"They're everywhere, man!" He shouted. I heard his feet stomping deeper into the forest. "Idiot, follow me!" Someone else yelled. I looked behind myself and saw that the T-Rexaurs were running back to the horns. The foghorns were indeed luring them in, but Rinoa's running in that direction as well.

"Zell, follow the T-Rexaurs!" I shouted as I changed direction once again to catch up with Rinoa. I looked to my right and saw that it was Zell and Seifer running together. More stomping was heard from far away, and we all realized more T-Rexaurs were joining in on the hunt. I pushed myself to run faster fearing that Rinoa was still in danger. I saw the T-Rexaurs turn off and disappear in the darkness…where…where did they go? How had they vanished?

Suddenly, a loud pink flash covered the area up ahead, and I heard some men's voices; it _had_ to be the warden and the newest arrivals. And just as I suspected, the bridge's blue light had just shut off, and the convicts were freed from their chains. Seeing the blue light disappear and hearing a few feet thump against the planked bridge, I allowed myself to continue running. I distinctively remember that as soon as the last man's foot touched the soil of this forest, the warden has to raise the barrier once again.

Then I saw the last convict running, and the others had run out before him, being tormented my scattering T-Rexaurs. The T-Rexaurs leapt out of the bushes to attack the men fiercely and hungrily. I ran and managed to escape their deadly jaws, and tackled the last convict back onto the bridge. The warden gasped aloud while pointing to the convict and me.

"Squall!" Rinoa called out to me from behind, she had been hiding in the shadows as well. Just as she yelled aloud, the warden drew a shotgun from his side. Rinoa threw a lit cigarette toward the warden and the vessel. That's right, Rinoa still had about one or two left in her backpack, along with the remaining powder bags, thank god. It landed in between, and before the man realized what had happened, there was a loud explosion. The explosion took off most of the bridge, but the warden flew toward us because of its force. His barrier proved useless when he landed near the forest's entrance.

Seifer had emerged out of the forest and immediately tried to attack the warden, but the skilled soldier shot off a few rounds at him from the ground. Seifer managed to dodge the fired shots and kicked the shotgun from his hands then pummeled the warden on the ground. The warden had pushed a few buttons on his suit as Seifer punched him. Seifer raised his arm to land another lick, but chains from the vessels inside emerged to cuff his arms.

"Raaagh!" An annoying cry of a T-Rexaur came from behind us all, and I stood up as the convict I had tackled seconds ago frightfully got up from the ground and ran into the forest. He bumped into Zell who had been fleeing the huge T-Rex as well, and they both fell to the ground. How stupid was that? Why would he run toward the T-Rex?

As the two men struggled on the ground, the T-Rexaur lunged down and bit into Zell's legs, causing him to cry aloud. Taking advantage of the situation, the convict got to his feet quickly and ran away leaving behind the squirming Zell caught in the lockjaws of the T-Rexaur. Rinoa and I both shouted, "Zell!"

Zell was screaming loud and uncontrollably when the beast had slung him from left to right without letting him go. It was unreal watching him like a lifeless dummy in the mouth of that T-Rex, and it caught everyone's attention. All the while, Seifer shoved the dagger into the throat of the warden while the T-Rexaur and Zell too distracted him. "Do you _see this_! This is what we go through _every single day_!" He snorted to the dying warden. Just as the warden's frightened eyes had become lifeless, we heard someone running behind the T-Rexaur.

"Aaah!" A loud scream from behind Zell's was heard, and then, we all saw a large tree branch being swung against the T-Rexaur's backside. The beast dropped Zell and roared. I hope it hurt like hell! It turned to face its challenger, and we each saw Raijin standing behind him with the long broken tree branch he had used to gain the beast' attention. Raijin backed away saying, "…For Fujin, ya'know. It'd be foolish to live on without her…"

"Raijin, no!" Rinoa shouted to him, but Seifer grabbed the shotgun from the ground and pulled Rinoa back to the vessel with chains dangling every which way in the process. "Raijin!"

"C'mon Rinoa!" Seifer yelled to her, pulling her arm, but I continued to watch the horrific scene. Raijin was now surrounded by two T-Rexaurs, as the beasts had been making inaudible growls to one another. He looked around himself nervously and held up the tree branch in defense. Zell had remained on the ground in shock and pain, blood streaming from his wounded legs. And just as Raijin was about to be picked apart by two T-Rexaurs, I had grabbed Zell's shoulders and pulled him back toward the vessel to meet Seifer and Rinoa. But moving Zell was a bad idea, seeing that the T-Rexaur that recently attacked him had now faced us once again.

Ignoring the approaching T-Rex, I continued to pull Zell's body. We all heard Raijin cry out in agony, but no one wanted to look at him any longer. I knew the outcome of his battle already. I had to focus on Zell now… The T-Rexaur continued to walk toward us, hunger in its eyes, and I felt like my legs could take me no further. I glanced behind myself and saw that the bridge had snapped in two because of the explosion, and it was futile to keep going. The T-Rexaur neared Zell and I, and I looked down at Zell who was mumbling, "…Just go, forget about me. I'm already dead…"

Was it my imagination, or was Zell _actually_ telling me to leave him? I didn't want to believe his words fearing that it may have been my mind playing tricks on me again; the body does take on a strange role in the act of natural survival instincts.

Finally, the T-Rexaur had stopped some distance away from us, and seemed to devise some sort of strategy to devour us together. In an instant, it took off running toward us and I had closed my eyes when I saw the beast's jaws coming in swiftly, but suddenly I heard what sounded like its body crushing a huge brick wall, and it moaned in the air. When I opened my eyes, I saw that it had been repelled by the yellow barrier and hit the purple electrical barrier surrounding the forest, frying the T-Rex to its death.

I hadn't moved, I couldn't…I watched it as it was fried from orange to charred, black flakes… The agonizing scream of torment from that T-Rexaur was unbearable to witness…but I never covered my ears or turned my eyes away from the scene.

"…Will you two get in here and stop playing around?" Seifer yelled from our side in the vessel.

Instinctively, my head snapped toward him and I shot him a deadly glare, "If you ever screw around like that again, I will kill you!"

"Whoa, relax man. All's well." He said, waving his chained arm.

…How can he be so calm after _all_ that just happened?

Rinoa was standing beside him; she looked to be in shock as well. My eyes softened when I saw her fearful face and I sighed, "…Let's get out of here…"

* * *

"Dammit, these stupid things won't come off!" Seifer had been pushing random buttons to release his chains, but the ship wouldn't budge. Every possible control hadn't worked since we set sail a few moments ago. Rinoa sat beside Zell, tending to his wounds but to no avail. We have no medication, so he's most likely to bleed to death. I had sat on a seat, watching her with him in a corner. 

Seifer was fiercely pushing in buttons on the wall… He's tried everything, even the shotgun, but it ran out of bullets after the warden used it to shoot at Seifer.

Seifer continued his rampage, "I don't get it; a few moments ago everything was working _fine_! How can it just stop working all of a sudden!"

I smirked, "…Maybe if you give it a rest and try a few minutes later it'll work for you."

"Shut up, no one said _anything_ to you!"

"It's just a word of advice." I said and he looked at me angrily then motioned his fist in the air, but I laughed, "Making threats with chained arms, that's brilliant…"

"Just you wait—" Suddenly, the chains had yanked Seifer back into the wall. " Ow! What the hell did you just do to me!"

"…I didn't do anything." I muttered and we all heard a continuous _ding_ from somewhere inside the vessel. "What's that sound?"

"Is it a bomb?" Rinoa asked, standing from Zell's side worriedly. I shrugged my shoulders and looked around myself, but nothing suspicious came up.

"No _way_!" Seifer said aloud, we both saw that he had faced the wall beside himself. "…Our coordinates have been changed, Rinoa…"

"…What do you mean?"

"…I don't know what's going on, and I'm not too sure…but it looks like we're headed to Esthar's capital!"

"No!" Rinoa shouted as she ran to witness the change for herself. "That can't be possible." I walked over to see for myself, and sure enough, the map on the wall indicted that we were docking at Esthar's capital. The capital is the same docking port from whence this ship sailed before it docks at the forests… We're basically returning to prison now… "Squall, do something!"

What in the world can _I _do about this? Regardless of my thoughts, I looked around frantically and touched the buttons on the side to see if there was anything I _could _do. After rounds of pushing button after button, however, on the screen appeared the bold face letters of, **Access Denied. **

"Access _Denied?_" Rinoa cried out.

After trying a second and a third time and failing, I finally gave up.

Moments after our tempering with the mechanism, Seifer had begun laughing hysterically on the wall. Rinoa sat beside me on the floor crying into my chest, and I fought back my own sense of distress. Zell was sitting in a small pool of his own blood, he was bleeding excessively…it was no doubt in my mind that he would die soon. I saw that his eyes were opening because of the boisterousness from Seifer's laughter echoing back and forth within the vessel, piercing my and everyone else's ears…

I leaned my head back against the wall and sighed, thinking to myself, _I can't believe this is happening…we'll be put to death for sure now. _

And Seifer laughed on…

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**_Enigmatic Future…_**

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_And there's the vessel within range. It's about to dock, take aim! "Take aim!"_

_Nowit's opening but…smoke; lots of smoke is pouring out from the vessel! Is it on fire? It's hard to tell…I need to make my troopsmove in to investigate."Move in! Move in!" _

"_Sir! A figure is coming out, I repeat, a figure is coming out!" This blasted radio is blaring directly into my ear, but I'm glad to hear the bastard's still alive._

_I gathered my breath and yelled, "Cease-fire immediately!" _

"_It appears to be an unarmed man, sir! He's collapsed on the ground."_

"_Move in to arrest him, **now**!"_

"_Yes sir, Colonel Biggs, sir—"_

_BOOOM! A ball of light sprang from the vessel as it sat in its docking port before my men and I. _

"_The vessel exploded! Who shot that missile? Tell me which one of you idiots fired that shot!" There's nothing left of that Vessel now…it's burning metal._

"_No one sir! Each unit obeyed your orders! It's probable that the explosion erupted from within!"_

"_Nonsense!" He must've been the only one in there. That's good then…No way could anyone survive an explosion like that…_

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**Author's Personal Place:**

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**Aye, this has got to be a dreadful chapter as I'm a lot stressful than normal after (and during...) writing it…-sighs- it took me long enough, but I finished! Instead of making two short chapters, I combined the two and created this long son of a gun. lol Hence its name, Woe… (I was like, "whoa' when I first finished it, lol, I'm kidding!) **

**I really hope you enjoyed the read, and I'll have the update following soon…yes, I haven't written _fin_ just yet, have I? I'll leave you all on the cliff right now…hehe.**

**Here's the thank you list:**

**_Yae_-thanks! Hey, I don't mind being showered with reviews, every review relieves me and tends to encourage me to do my best with the next chapter! Just as you continue to applaud my work, I'll continue to thank you! Woo! Cookies! lol! Yeah, Seifer's really not that bad a guy, but he's got serious mental issues! Hmm, everything happened so fast in this chapter that Squall didn't get a chance to really plot against Caraway, _aww_…but…the update will follow… soon! **

**_Yuleen_-Nope the guy just doesn't learn…I think Seifer's rubbed off on him! Yeah, Rinoa is breaking down more and more…the poor dear! lol, cookies! (Seriously, I have a sweet tooth right now!) Thanks, and I'm glad you really like the story! Hope I didn't disappoint with the nerve-wrecking chapter! lol **

**_Ayato_-Thank you, I'm happy that you loved my stories! (I thought my newest story was deleted because it disappeared from the archived stories section... Hmm, I'm thinking of updating it, but I don't know…**

**-Tends to struggle with mushy things- lol) Oh yeah here's a little tip, when you're writing your story, plan the steps ahead by writing what you would like to happen and what could possibly happen. Make sure you set up limits so nothing blows out of proportion (you know, over dramatization or a certain event that doesn't have anything to do with the plot) and just write out a plot summary. That way, you'll know which and every way possible the direction your story can flow. It's also a good idea to keep up with the events that have already happened so you can draw back and maybe use them as references for future chapters. (Hehe, I'm only making a suggestion that could be helpful to you and other authors as well. So you don't necessarily have to use it, but I hope it's helpful enough!) Anyway, Thanks again! I hope to see an update of your story sometime too!**

**_IttanMomen_- Wow! You're there! lol. Good luck with your exams and study hard! It's good to know that you're still with me because I was starting to believe that you actually _were_ afraid of the monstrosity in my story! lol I'm glad that you can get a chance to read every now and then!**

**Thanks everyone for the wonderful reviews! So let me know what you think of this chapter too, please! lol …Oh yeah…Raijin…I'm sorry about that… **

**-gives a moment of silence for Raijin-**

**Also, I kinda cheated…I gave myself the 50th review! lol I thought I really deserved it! **

**Okay…the next chapter will come to you by the end of this week. If that's a promise or not, it's totally up to you to decide. Again, my brain is twisting like crazy…**

…**I'm truly sorry if this chapter is crazy and cluttered… -laughs nervously- I'm probably predictable by now but…Flame me if you will:P lol Seriously, be honest! lol **

**Thanks again!**

**_StardustRay_**


	16. Till Death Do We Part

**_Warning: unneccessary longness in this chapter, lol. You've been warned...(Joking!)_**

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**_Between Heaven and Hell_**

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_Chapter 15: Till Death Do We Part_

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Seifer's laughter grew higher and finally, I just couldn't take it any longer; I knew for a fact that if he continued, I was most likely to join him. Before that would ever happen, I looked down at Rinoa and saw she had drifted into her own world, staring off into the walls of this vessel with her face against my chest. "Excuse me Rinoa." I said to her while easing from our embrace. I stood from the floor quickly and trotted toward Seifer who had still been laughing, but I punched him once while yelling, "Will you shut the hell up!"

I glared at him and he lowered his head, smiling like a million bucks… "I…I deserved that…"

Of course he deserved that damn punch! Whose lovely idea was it that we should escape by vessel! _Seifer's_! Whose fault is it that we're headed into a death trap, _Seifer's_! "Like hell you did!"

He chuckled, "I guess it's uh…too late for an apology, right?"

"An _apology!" _Why is he laughing again? There isn't anything funny about what's happening to us. "Do you really think we need to hear it?"

"Well, before we die, I just wanna—"

"Seifer! Shut up!" Rinoa yelled, and when I looked back, I saw her holding her face with her hands. "This isn't the end just yet!"

"…Rinoa sweetheart, we're sealed in and we can't change the control functions. Our fate is set, so all we'll do now is kick back and enjoy the last moments of our lives together…"

"You're chained to a wall, does that sound like enjoyment to you?" She muffled against her hands. Chained to a wall? Rinoa, this is _Seifer_ we're talking about, the same guy that said the forest was _homey_. With him, who knows what distinguishable difference there is between comfort and torture?

"Why? Are you _concerned_ about me?" He asked Rinoa, a little playfulness arising in his tone. I eyed him suspiciously as she stood from the ground and walked toward us now.

"…Not really, but I do feel like I should thank you." Thank him? For what, giving us a one-way ticket to publicized executions? Unless Esthar has suppressed all information about our escape, the media will definitely await our arrival. She sighed and continued, "I mean some of us _did_ get out of the forest _and_ off of the continent alive… That's farther than any convict as ever gotten before, and because of that, I'm grateful."

To my surprise, Seifer was silent. He had stared down into the cracks of the floor and smiled. Rinoa looked at me quizzically, I guess she had expected him to make some kind of cheesy remark too. Seifer looked over at me and then to Rinoa as he muttered, "But I failed you…"

"…Seifer?" Rinoa asked quietly.

"Agh…!" Zell grimaced from his corner of the vessel near the exit, and I turned to look at him.

"Zell? You okay?" I wanted to slap myself for asking a question like that. Of course he wasn't okay… I walked to Zell and knelt down beside him. His shorts were bloody and shredded because of the T-Rexaurs' vicious bite. There were two sets of bite marks across each of his legs. On his thighs and knees, teeth impressions had punctured his skin. I think if it were a bigger T-Rexaur, the bite would be worse than it is now. The wound might have stretched from his thighs to the back of his calves. I sighed when I realized how much pain he must have been going through. He's doing much worse than Fujin was during her last few hours… Zell closed his eyes again and bit his lower lip violently.

"Zell!" Rinoa said as she ran over and squatted beside him too. She touched his forehead and pulled her hand back quickly, as if it had injured her just to feel, "He's running a fever."

"I-I'm fine…" He winced, "I'll be okay…"

…He's saying that now, but it really doesn't look like he'll improve. Zell…really has a strong heart.

"Squall, I have an idea, can you help me?" Rinoa asked while moving to Zell's shirt.

"Sure."

"Zell I hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna have Squall tear your shirt, okay?" As if he'd really mind _that_ at a time like this. Zell reluctantly nodded his head, more worried about his pain than us, and sat up for Rinoa. She eased off the shirt, leaving behind the t-shirt underneath, from his arms and back and then handed it to me asking, "Can you rip this shirt in two?"

I nodded my head and grabbed the shirt carefully turning it to the end where it would most likely tear easily. I pulled two ends of the shirt as hard as I could until I heard a slick ripping sound coming from the clothing in my hands. It hadn't torn perfectly, but it was enough to do whatever Rinoa had in mind, I suppose; she looked impressed and more than glad about the ripped shirt. She smiled and took it from me quickly, "Thank you!"

"No problem."

Rinoa went down and quickly wrapped one torn piece around Zell's left thigh first, and he winced at it. She tied it not so tightly, but tight enough to stop the bleeding. After securing that bandage, she took the other and did the same. She was only able to cover half of his wounds; she tied the shirt around his damaged thighs because they were slightly worse than his knees. His response wasn't as bad as the first bandage, but it still hadn't subsided completely. …I'm glad Rinoa is trying her best to keep Zell alive.

As soon as she was satisfied with his bandages and wrappings, Rinoa sat back and sighed in relief. "There, that should be good enough!" She smiled _confidently_, obviously hiding her own pain, and Zell made a weak smile that quickly melted into a frown. He turned his face away from us slowly in growing pain. Rinoa whispered, "Zell…please stay strong."

She touched his shoulder and stood from beside him. I watched her as she turned away and stretched her arms out. I'm probably imagining it, but Rinoa has a smile on her face. I wonder what's going through her mind…she's suddenly cheered up.

As Zell sat in the corner, purposely relying on the two walls that met one another to support his weight, I had taken the wall beside him where the doors open. There's not much space in the vessel, but the floor somehow feels more comfortable than those seats…

I pushed my head back against the steel wall with a sigh and closed my eyes, finally realizing that there was nowhere else to go. All this time I had been playing with death, but now that it would _actually_ happen, I didn't want it to… Who knows what will happen when this vessel docks? We could be arrested or _shot_ even… My heart's pounding just thinking about it. …I had considered dying before, but now that it's near…I…I don't want to die.

There's so much in my insignificant life that hasn't been done yet, so much I wanted to see, to do, and to speak… I wanted everything, but during the times when I _thought_ I had it all, I realize now what I had was _nothing_. Sure, my family was there, but I practically pushed them out of my life as soon as I got out of the house. Yeah, I lied to myself before… When I first rode this vessel, I made myself believe that I came from a family that had always loved and cherished me, and _I_ the same…but the truth is, I always wanted to escape, to be free of my life. And I _wished_…like _hell _did I wish…for something better everyday.

That's why fifty percent of my life was spent sitting on the couch, whether it had been at my apartment or even at my parent's house…didn't matter, I'd sit on the sofa and watch TV; watching other people's lives for my own pleasure. Comparing my life to theirs, and thinking 'I guess it _could be_ worse for me…'

I admit now, I was unhappy…I always had been… Just why _else _would I take an interest in my dad's crazy tales of his life, even when I knew most of it was made up or exaggerated just to grab my and Ellone's attention? I took his stories and made them into my own, wishing that someday I could be exactly the same. But almost anyone can say that trying to live up to someone else' accomplishments is a down right fool's recipe for disaster. I guess…it took me a long time to realize it's true.

So there I was, stuck with a job I hated…but played a phony charade, which stressed that my life was just _great_ for me. …In reality, I was in a relationship with a friend that shouldn't have been personal at all, more like platonic, and I had cheated myself from none other than _me_… I guess I've never met Squall Loire before, haven't I? Setting those phony goals I just knew I couldn't live up to… Ridiculous…

Until that day Selphie…_betrayed _me, I hadn't a clue as to why I even existed… Foolish of me to say, but I haven't a clue why I'm still alive now. Fate perhaps?

I shrugged my shoulders, as if answering my own question, and opened my eyes, slightly embarrassed about being deep in thought _and _talking to myself. Not wanting to see if anyone had paid attention to my motions, I looked at the ceiling of the vessel…something I hadn't done before…something I wish I had paid close attention too. "What is that…?" I questioned, staring into a part of the ceiling, which was noticeably higher than the rest. It seemed to take on a circular crease of an opening or what have you. I pushed myself from the floor and walked underneath the circular line in the ceiling.

"Squall?" Rinoa asked me while joining me underneath the shape.

"Do you see that? …It looks like some kind of entry point, or maybe even an exit."

"…Yeah. I wonder if—"

"If we can reach it…?"

"Yeah."

"Let's see…" I reached my arms as high as I could and was able to touch the ceiling with my fingertips, nothing more. "…Ahh…too high."

"Hmm…give me a boost." I nodded and grabbed her waist, then lifted her from the ground. When I looked up, I saw Rinoa tracing the loop with her fingers and digging into the crack, searching for some type of hidden valve maybe?

"There's something here, I can feel the little piece of metal against my finger. All I have to do is push it." She said slowly, pushing her finger inside. "…But I've tried it…and…it's not working." She dug her finger into the loop once more but groaned, "It's not working!"

I lowered her to the ground slowly and stood up straight, rubbing the back of my neck, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am, I surely wouldn't give up after only two times of trying!" She spoke seriously, which caused a smile to form on my lips.

I continued to smirk, "I know."

"Oh yeah! I know what will do the trick." Rinoa walked over to a seat where she had placed her backpack and grabbed it up. She removed her dagger, the only dagger than hadn't been used by any of us and smiled. "Please lift me one more time, and I promise this will be the last time."

"With pleasure." I said, smirking a bit before taking her by the waist again. When she was in the air, she located the valve and inserted the dagger underneath. After it made a few clicking sounds, there was a snap from the creased loop and a clank from inside the vessel as well. Finally, the top loosened and we both froze, whether it was our shock or panic that caused us to freeze is undistinguishable…but we became anxious to witness the outcome. I didn't even need to tell Rinoa to push open the door, seeing that it was indeed an exit. She had glanced at me.

Rinoa placed both of her hands on the smooth bottom of the door and pushed upward. She pushed the dagger against the door to avoid dropping it on me, and the door easily went up, displaying the darkness of the night sky and the illumination of the stars…so bright, brighter than I ever imagined. "…Would you look at that?" Rinoa whispered underneath her breath without drawing her eyes to me, and I was speechless. Seeing her looking up at the stars, I was lost in her image…

"Ouch…" Seifer's monotonous voice sounded, and we both retracted our eyes from the heavens to face him. I lowered Rinoa to the floor, and we saw Seifer's chains had allowed him to slide down against the wall now. Maybe this door and those chains created some type of reaction to one another, most likely pressure conflictions. The door just happened to keep the chains in tact and tight around the convict's wrist and ankles…? Perhaps… …Although the cuffs hadn't unlocked, he could move his arms a bit more than before. "What are you two up to _now_?"

Rinoa faced me and took a deep breath. I bet she's wondering if we should tell him or not. Why would he be thrilled about there being an exit when he's _chained_ to a wall? Even _I_ realize that it's unfair to tell him about an exit, but as she looked at me with those curious eyes, I nodded to her indicating we should tell him. Regardless if he's thrilled or just…himself, we should allow him to know that we've found _something_ on this piece of crap worth tempering with. In an instant, Rinoa turned back to Seifer and spoke softly, "…Seifer, did you know there was a door up there?"

He looked at Rinoa and smirked, "…Now, I'm not sure how I can answer that question." I'm thinking…had his hands been free, he'd rub his chin like some character out of a storybook. "…I was unsure if the newer models even _had_ an emergency exit. Come to think of it, the emergency exits were never mentioned. Odine thrived at his newest accomplishments and upgrades, whereas he forgot to mention the _basics_…poor guy. But then again, I guess he didn't want people to know that there actually isn't anything _new_ about this vessel…just a few minor changes, repairs, and a new paint job, and _voila,_ you've got yourself a not-so-brand-new vessel. That's not bad at all." He laughed, "Esthar isn't so high and mighty _now_, is it? Even _they_ tend to recycle the old and worn, those cheap bastards…"

I had to laugh at his comments, and so had Rinoa. Even though he's complexity in the flesh, Seifer tends to make an awful lot of sense nowadays doesn't he? …And I was right about _him_ and everyone else who had been trapped there in the forest, _extremely blunt and straight to the point. _

Suddenly a chill rushed in from the roof of the opened door, and Rinoa shivered while rubbing her arms quickly. "Maybe I should shut it?"

"Can you reach it?" She asked, walking over to me once again.

"…Probably not…" She smiled and held up her arms, allowing me to grab her waist once more, and lift her in the air like some dancer would do his ballerina…and she smiled, probably thinking the same thought and playing along with me.

"You guys are giving me the creeps…" Seifer grumbled from far back in the vessel and I sighed. I had forgotten he was even there in the same place as us for a mere second…

Rinoa had a little trouble closing the door, but finally was able to close it by grabbing an outer edge and letting it slam shut on its own. Although there was no handle on the inside, she had allowed the door to shut only halfway, giving us easy access to and fro. When she had finished, I put her back down onto the safety of the vessel's floor, and she smirked at Seifer, "Just because you're grumpy and stuck in one place doesn't mean we have to act _confined_ too."

He snorted, "_Very funny_, Rinoa…remind me to laugh."

She giggled, "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself."

I laughed to myself and walked to the map on the wall beside where Seifer was now sitting. On the map, the blinking green dot indicated where _we_ were, and I saw a red dot as well…most likely where _they _are: On land…near a flat plain and a docking harbor, "…How _convenient_."

"What is?" Both Seifer and Rinoa asked in unison.

"…I'm just looking at the map, that's all."

"That map only brings about bad things, it's best if you don't pay any attention to it. Besides, in about twenty minutes, our dot will progress to the next space closer to Esthar; Lucky us."

"…I see." I continued to study the map before me. It seemed to be painted on the wall on some sort of platform beneath. It's equipped with a transmitter, so Esthar can target us as well.

According to the map, Esthar is actually just south of where we are, and the red dot occupies the first docking point accessible to us, a docking point that is coming up quickly… It's near the space museum, Lunar Gate, so there's no doubt in my mind that the media will definitely know what's going on. There isn't anything else around there but…land…. "?" Wait a minute… I looked farther from Lunar Gate, staring at the land. Unlike the other areas that had been marked up by particular continents and towns, this area had nothing in sight. I'm sure if we swam, we could reach it…it's a terribly long distance, but it's…worth a try, right? Better than being shot…or arrested _again_. I touched the spot on the map, and Rinoa seemed to notice the interest I took in this area.

She walked beside me and curiously stepped closer to the map as I moved my hand, "Any ideas?"

"…As a matter of fact, yes." It's only an idea, so there aren't any guarantees… I looked at Zell, who had opened his eyes fully and listened in to us as we stood near the map. I'm not sure if he's aware of what's happening, but its good to see he's still with us. "…We have but _one_ shot at an escape now… There's a point just a little after our destination that's bothering me. I know if we tried, we could swim it-"

"That's the _dumbest_ thing I've ever heard!" Seifer shouted with a laugh. "Are you _blind_? Have you _seen_ our party? We've got four hungry people total, one is crippled, another is chained, one is finally accepting her place, and then there's you, the _dimwit_. Why would you even suggest such thing?"

Yes, I know it was stupid, but it was just an idea, nothing further. "I didn't say we had to actually _swim_, and besides, I'm a strong swimmer, so I'd carry Zell on my back; as far as you, you're on your own."

"You'd leave me here?"

"In a flash…"

He moved his leg to kick me, but I stepped back quickly, "You gutless pig-"

"Well, I was going to say that we could probably work a little wonder with that powder, but—"

"Forget about me, I'll only slow you down." Zell said quietly, and we all turned to face him. Rinoa walked to Zell and squatted before him.

"Zell? There's no way we're leaving you here." She said to him.

"No…you have to… I'll never survive out there." He looked at Rinoa and smiled, "Besides, that's saltwater, do you know how much it will hurt my wounds?"

Rinoa sighed and looked at the floor. Zell has a point about the saltwater and all, but it's still unfair to him. She looked up at me and bit her lower lip, "Squall?"

…Don't make me choose, please don't. I lowered my head slowly and closed my eyes, "…Zell, you're gonna have to manhandle that water then, 'cause you're going."

"No. I want to stay here, okay?" He took a deep breath, "I don't want you guys to get caught behind in this mess because of me. And anyway, your chances of survival will cut down in many halves because of me, so just go without me."

"_Zell!"_ Rinoa yelled and Zell shot back, "GO Dammit! Don't make me repeat myself! Go now and don't look back!" When I opened _my _eyes, I saw that _Rinoa's_ were watering as she continued to squat before him.

Zell moved his right leg, and followed with his left…but the movement ceased and he writhe in agony on the ground.

"…_Dammit little man_, why'd you come up with this stupid plan?" I faced Seifer as he slowly picked himself from the floor and calmed his rampant voice, "If the kid's staying here…then I guess…"

"Seifer…?" Rinoa whispered.

"I'm staying too, _alright?_ _Happy!"_ He glared at me. How many times have I pictured myself beating the living crap out of him, or even murdering him when I was in anger just for giving me that look? But…I never actually meant it all, and I'm sure most people think that way when they became fed up because of someone else's remarks… Seifer's really willing to stay behind…or is it because of he's stuck to the wall? …And what the hell? Wasn't it a simple idea, as I said before, so why is he trying to make it seem like I'm deliberately trying to leave him behind?

I returned his glare and muttered, "This is _not_ what I wanted."

"That's bull, and we _both _know it! So just get the hell out of here and take Rinoa with you, unless you want to forget about _her too_-"

Without any hesitation, I punched him in his stomach and he leaned over coughing, choking for air. I scolded, "How dare you! I could _never_ forget about Rinoa! I was there for her when she needed me and I _still_ am! But what did _you_ do! I wasn't the one who restrained her in the forest, who lied to her, cheated her, _and_ withheld valuable information from her! Unlike _you_, I can't just disregard her life and live my own as if I have no worries. Only a self-centered bastard like _you_ can do that, and you _did_…"

He spat out blood from his mouth and looked up at me with his eyes only, "Honestly…if she had died in that cavern and you survived, you would've wished that I killed you swiftly and painlessly… You're right; you're _not_ me and that's for sure. _I_ wouldn't have let her go out in search of that ridiculous cave in the _first place_! …But I was glad to see that you brought her back safely. That's why I pushed you so hard before; I tried to break you away from her because…I didn't want her to become bonded with you."

He softened his tone and continued, "Until you spoke of Odine, I wanted nothing to do with you. You see…Odine's the key here…he was my signal to move. After hearing about his death from _you_, I knew I had to put the plan into motion and also I _knew_ Rinoa wouldn't want to leave your side…but you took off with Rinoa _and_ my stash of goods before I could do anything further." He hadn't smirked, but spoke lucidly while rising from the floor and glaring me, " Rinoa _can't _be hurt; do you _understand_ me? You'd best have meant what you said a little while ago! And you better get Rinoa out of this mess too, so help _you god _if I _die _in this vessel, my soul with haunt you for the rest of your goddamn life!"

…Silence, there was total silence as we glared at one another still, and somewhere behind us stood a lost Rinoa. She had been quiet since we exchanged words… I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded to him slowly while speaking clearly as well, "I meant every last word."

"Good…it looks like we _finally_ agree on something."

I took a deep breath and stepped away from him without removing my eyes from his. Rinoa had appeared beside us, and we both looked at her. She whispered, "Seifer."

"Rinoa, nothing mushy okay? Just prepare to get out of here, and leave _before_ we dock that way we won't all die together."

She forced a smile from her frown while muttering, "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He said as she kissed his cheek and turned away from him, walking toward Zell. I looked at her as she walked away and I heard Seifer let out a sigh, "Take care of her, Squall…" I faced him slowly, unsure of what I had just heard. For the first time, he hadn't insulted me…

"I will." He mentioned Odine's name being some sort of signal…what did he mean by that? The thought quickly left my mind as I saw Rinoa smile with Zell once again, and I relaxed…

* * *

When the Vessel finally made some progress and was closer to Esthar, I had stood in one place and stared at the map. After releasing a heavy sigh, Seifer growled, "What the hell are you waiting for? Get a move on!"

I smirked and nodded my head to him, then turned to face Rinoa as she was standing underneath the exit. I walked to her slowly, every step felt like I would fall straight through the floor of the vessel.

Rinoa grabbed her backpack from the floor and sighed, "I'm going to leave this with you two. The powders inside are useless when wet, so…"

"We'll put them to good use, won't we Zell?"

"…Huh?" Zell questioned, looking back and forth from Seifer to us.

Seifer chuckled and motioned his head to Zell, "Give them to the kid and get out of here. We're fine."

"Seifer—" Rinoa was about to protest but Seifer cut her off.

"_We're_ Fine!"

After another second of silent goodbyes, I lifted Rinoa to the exit so she could push open the door, and then she climbed up. I jumped up to reach the top and was able to pull myself up with the help of Rinoa tugging on my arms and shirt. When I managed to pull my legs up and settle on the top of the vessel, I sat back and sighed in relief, "…Geez, I expended most of my energy getting up here." Rinoa smiled and closed the door, assuring the stragglers wouldn't freeze to death.

It was still dark out, and we could hardly see anything. Even though we were far from shore, I was confident in my swimming. I knew even if we became exhausted, the sea would carry us until we could swim some more. I stood at the edge of the vessel and Rinoa grabbed my arm, "…Squall—"

"I don't want to hear it Rinoa, we're getting there no matter what."

She slid her hand down my arm and entwined her fingers into mine, "I was going to say…I trust you."

I smiled, looking down sheepishly. Rinoa giggled and rested her forehead against my arm with a soft sigh, "…Let's just end this."

I took a deep breath and nodded my head slowly, "Yeah…" By the way she spoke it, it sounded like she meant ending our lives. For a split second, I was frightened, but when she squeezed my hand in hers, I had calmed down. She's with me…and no matter what happens, we're in this together. For the first time, our fate is in our _own_ hands, and not by those stupid T-Rexaurs. Either we'll free ourselves from this misery, or we die trying.

With those thoughts on my mind, I faced Rinoa and kissed her forehead softly, muttering, "Stay close to me."

"I will." She said, holding on to my shoulders in the night's winds.

"Let's go…" I whispered and pulled away from Rinoa, walking to the ledge and looking down into the dark waters. I could tell the vessel had been moving at an incredible speed by the gushing sprouts from beside its body. I sighed and looked back at Rinoa, changing my frown into a smile, "We'll have to jump out far to avoid being sucked in by the ship's motor and tail blades."

Rinoa joined me on the ledge and observed it for herself, "I see what you mean." She looked up at the sky and took her hair down from a ponytail, redoing it to avoid getting hair in her face as she swam, I guess. When she was done, she looked at me, "Ready?"

I nodded, "Ready when you are."

"Great, here we go." She yelled and jumped, and I followed a second behind her jump.

As my body broke through the surface, I felt like I had been bitten by hundreds of T-Rexaurs. It was like penetrative jaws clinging to every piece of flesh and skin on my body. My lungs had struggled as my chest seemed to have caved in, and when I tried to move, it was like my feet had been cemented to the ground with anvils attached; however, I managed to fight my way to the very top and burst through to the surface, desperately gasping for air.

After taking a few breaths, I looked around myself for Rinoa, and saw that she had just gotten up as well. Good, she survived the horrible welcoming embrace from the ocean. "Rinoa!"

"Oh my god, Squall! This is crazy!"

"Rinoa don't panic, please don't. Just swim, I want you to follow my voice and swim!"

"Squall, I…I can't feel anything!"

"Rin, please! Don't focus on that, let's go! C'mon, there's no turning back now!"

"A…alright! I'm right behind you!" She said, forcing herself to swim her best.

I forced myself to continue swimming, despite the unpleasantly cold water and within a matter of minutes or seconds, I was becoming tired. Soon, I realized Rinoa wasn't _right _behind me as she claimed she would be. She was struggling in the water, and I knew I couldn't leave her there. So I turned back and swam underneath her, picking her up on my back, and tried to push onward. She was shivering, and I could swear her face had turned blue.

"Squall…" She whispered to me.

"Hold on to me… We're almost there…"

* * *

**_---Seifer's Epitome---_**

* * *

****

"Stop that, it's annoying." I said to the kid as he's been tapping his hand against the floor for sometime now, it's really bothering me.

"Oh…uh…sorry." He stopped immediately, _finally…_ I looked at the map and saw that our precious green dot was surfacing the dock areas of Esthar, just lovely.

"Zell, check in that bag for a pack of cigarettes."

"Sure." I watched him tug at the bag's pull string and dig inside. Thank god he's found the pack of cigarettes Rinoa stole from me. "There aren't but three left in here."

"All I need is one. Go ahead and throw the whole pack here, would ya?"

"But they might fall out."

"Throw 'em here!" I ordered, and he quickly tossed the pack over to me, which fell gracefully into my lap. Great, I've got the cigarettes, but with chained hands how can I grab them; I'm gonna have to become some type of acrobat to pull this off. I looked at the packet as it was in my lap, and I boosted myself from the floor. With a quick dip of my torso, I cause the pack to slide toward me and I used chin to stop it from falling. Luckily, the guy had closed it for me to ensure none of my smokes would fall out.

I carefully opened the pack with my right hand while keeping my body in that position and allowed a cigarette to slide into my mouth. After carefully securing it in my mouth, I lowered my body onto the floor and sighed, "Now, throw me the lighter."

"I…I don't see a lighter."

"Rinoa put it back into the bag when we first got onboard—"

"Oh I see it, it was hiding behind all these lumps of rubbish. That's all."

"Would you just throw it to me?"

"_Alright_…" He carefully tossed it toward my hand and I caught it.

"Oh yes!" I started a fire and pulled my hand as close to my face as possible, and with enough success, the cigarette was lit. I took a puff and allowed it to rush through my body, easing my nerves for a mere eternity… When I was lost in its ecstasy, Zell cleared his throat and looked at me as if asking me to pass it to him, "You don't need this…" He sighed and looked at the floor, staring at his injured legs. "I tell you what, if you can stand up and walk about half way over here, I'll let you take the cigarette."

"…That's impossible. I can't even get up if I lay myself down on the floor."

"Well too bad for you, but more for me."

"You're right, I don't need that thing anyway."

"You're only saying that so I can pity you."

"No I'm not…I…I'm just—"

"Afraid?"

"…Yeah."

"We're almost there, in fact, I'll give it another five minutes…" He wants to calm his nerves too…what a shame.

"_Five_ minutes?"

"That's right." I smiled and sat back against the wall, keeping the cigarette at the corner of my mouth. I leaned toward my hand and took it from my mouth, but I heard Zell moving his legs with a moan in pain.

Little by little, he had eased himself from the floor and pushed against his back, allowing his body to rise so his feet could take the weight once more. I guess that T-Rexaur wound of his wasn't too bad, seeing that his legs haven't broken to pieces upon standing on his own.

Zell hadn't stood all the way, but he leaned against the wall that was behind him, and I watched him with a great interest; was he standing just to prove himself wrong or did he actually want my cigarette? Just as he was about to push himself from the wall's care completely, the vessel shifted, and it felt as if the pace or the ship's speed had quickened. When I looked at the dot, I saw that we were right in front of Esthar's docking port. I sighed and looked at Zell as he held his hold on the wall for support.

"Zell…get the bag and get over here."

"But, I can hardly stand."

"Just throw them to me then." And Zell struggled against the wall while holding on as he limped toward the bag on the floor. Without bending his legs, he reached down and scooped up the bag, then threw it to me in one go. "…You know what, bad idea, you get the bag and do as I say."

"What!"

"Do as I say!"

"tch, fine!" Once again, Zell limped toward me as I sat on the floor, smirking in amusement. Yeah, even though I really need his help, it still funny to take advantage of the situation. Seriously, this has got to be the _saddest_ thing known to all mankind. When Zell practically guided himself to me using the wall, he reached for the bag and the lighter that were on the floor, and took them into his hands. Now, resting his back against the wall, he looked at me, no…he glared at me. "_Now_ what?"

I laughed again, but quickly shut myself up, "Look into the bag and find a pouch with some white powder inside." He dug inside and looked through, after another minute or so, he'd found the correct pouch. "Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Good, now find another with orange powder."

"…Orange?" He questioned, looking into the bag once more. "There's two others, but they both have a little powder left."

"Well then mix them together and throw that pouch to me, meanwhile, you keep the pouch with the white powder, okay?"

"…Alright." As he began to mix the two bags, I realized this was the end of the line for me. Zell didn't understand it, but I had gotten him to use his legs once again… He's probably forgotten about the pain now because his mind's focused elsewhere. I smiled, applauding my little success quietly.

It's probably one of the only good things I've ever done in my entire life. Back then, I was a piece of work…I was the best in my business, and I was the sliest scum in the entire city, but as they say, good things must come to an end. _I was a criminal mastermind; I knew the game…every aspect of it. And one thing that every master criminal knows is that someday, he'll get caught._

I grinned, remembering my own little motto, how it comforted me throughout my days. I knew that if I should ever fall, I'd go down doing something big, something important.

"It's done." Zell said, showing me the mixed powder pouch in his hands. I smiled and motioned my head to the other bag in his hands.

"Light up the white powdered pouch and place the other one in front of me."

"_What?_ Isn't this a _bomb?"_

"Don't worry, Rinoa told me it's only a smoke bomb."

"Oh…okay…"

"So go ahead and light it."

"Um, alright." He started a flame and dropped the lighter into the bag, then hurriedly tossed it across the room. There was a _minor_ explosion, if one counts a bursting bag and smoke everywhere as something dangerously explosive...

Before the smoke emerged, I pointed to the other pouch he still had in his hands. "Zell, open it up and give it to me." After a few minutes, the entire vessel was smoky, and Zell covered his nose with his shirt. Suddenly, the vessel shifted, and it seemed as if we came to a complete stop, probably bumping the docking harbor due to the lack of an actual pilot. Zell tried to give me the bag, but it slipped from his hands and wasted on the floor right in front of me as he began coughing from the increasing smoke cloud. "What are you doing!" I questioned him, but he hadn't looked at me.

Some cleared the air as the front door spread open. Had Zell still been sitting in that corner, he would've fallen out because he had been sitting so close to the edge. …So I've done my good deed, eh? I looked at Zell, who was still coughing and looking right back at me now, "Zell, get out of here…"

"What!"

"The door's open, there are people out there, they'll take care of you! Just get out of here!" I yelled, standing to my feet. I placed the cigarette back into my mouth and watched Zell take one look at me, then head out into the light.

"Move in!" The voice from far away called out from the radiant light of outside; so the sun had risen? I couldn't tell the difference between night and day for being inside this vessel so long…

As Zell limped out and disappeared into the cloud of smoke, I smiled and took one last puff of my cigarette.

Now that I think about it…I'm the only one that isn't running away, that hadn't purposely set out to escape; the only lucky bastard that isn't afraid to die.

I spat the cigarette from my mouth, and it landed directly on the scattered mixed powders. I…closed my eyes-

_BOOOM!_

**

* * *

**

**_----The Night We Died---_**

**_

* * *

_**

"Hold on to me Rinoa… We're almost there…"

She took a quick breath and wrapped her arms around my neck. I'm well aware that it's dangerous to have her on my back, but there's no way I'm leaving her behind. Even so, she could still slip away even if she _is_ in my care. The only way she won't freeze to death is if she were talking; so at that moment, I gathered my breath to force myself to speak to her. "Rinoa, what did you like to do?"

"Huh? Squall?"

"Before everything…before you worked with your father. What did you enjoy the most?" I asked, mostly treading the water before trying to stroke again.

"I…used to imagine my house was…a mansion when I was a little girl." She whispered into my ear, as I had fought against waves of water trying to keep her above the surface.

"Is that so?"

She struggled to continue speaking, "…Yeah. Not some palace like a princess, but…a big mansion… I wanted to throw…parties with my mom…before, before she left my dad and me." She took a deep breath and squeezed her hands around my neck, but I felt it gradually slipping away.

"Rinoa?" And in an instant, her hands had slipped away. I felt her body slide easily from my back fall into the water and I tried to reach, but only grabbed hold of her shirt. I turned around and submerged myself underneath so I could grab her and pull her up to the surface again. When she reached the top, I heard her coughing, and then I followed her and broke into the surface of water as well, gathering my own breath. "Rinoa, don't you do that again!" I yelled, holding onto her, and she had let herself fall against my shoulders. "Rinoa!" She hadn't replied to me, and she felt like an iceberg in my arms. "Rin!"

I pulled her head back and studied her face. I saw that her eyes were dilating, but had remained still. She then looked at me and forced a smile with her purple lips, but hadn't said a single word.

I felt my eyes stinging with tears, not because of the salty seawater, but because I was watching Rinoa die in my arms. "Rin…" She closed her eyes, but I moved my hand to her face and forced her to open them again, "Stay with me, please Rinoa! Don't leave me here!" I felt hot tears fall from my eyes as I continued to call her name, but no matter what I did, she continued to fall into that hopeless state. I became angry that she was giving up, but what upset me the most was the fact that it was _my _fault she's out here dying! She trusted _me_ with her _life_! "RINOA!" I cried out against her cold, _lifeless _body.

…I can't move…I can't do anything…I'm hopeless. I kissed Rinoa's cold mouth one last time, but I hadn't let go of her body. …For some strange reason…I don't want to go on. …So is this what Raijin felt…?

I closed my eyes and allowed my body to sink underneath the surface, purposely forgetting to take my last breath, and held her body close. I, too, had been freezing under the night sky in search of freedom with all my hope stored in my heart… But just as always, fate has a cruel way of reminding me that the world isn't fair, that it doesn't work the way I'd like it too, nor does it give a damn about me…

So as I pulled her closely against me, I had said my goodbyes to her, to my family, to the world…to everything. And in a matter of minutes, Squall Loire…had died.

I had been sinking into hell since the very beginning, living a meaningless life. Finally, my inexistence became reality, my personal heaven.

_**BOOOM**_

A felt a thump against my body…or was it unreal? Rinoa? …I heard something elsewhere too… However, Rinoa…is she?

I opened my eyes finally…and everything suddenly went white, but before I could try to understand what was happening, I lost myself again.

Another blackout? Or am I really dead?

* * *

**Author's Unpleasant Paradise: (I'm having mixed feelings about this chapter…sorry if it sucked.) _Warning: Author is very moody right now._**

* * *

…**Near the end of every story I write, I tend to…scare myself…scare myself away from the story, and also I surprise myself with my own words. –if that just made any sense at all- I somehow feel like I'm forgetting something valuable…or maybe adding too much…I don't know. **

**Anyway, I'm sorry for the long wait…for _this._ lol. (I make it sound so horrible, don't I? lol) As always let me know if it sucks, is bad, horrible, okay, good, great, or excellent! **

**Okay, enough about me… **

**Here's to:**

**_Blue_-lol, thanks, I really don't expect everyone to review _every_ chapter, but I'm really glad you thought about it! Don't worry! Rofl at your review, Feed Squall Fund! That's true really, the guy should be dying for something edible, but you know, he's more worried about losing his life than eating, haha. (Anyways, Squall says thanks:in the background, Squall wipes the cookie crumbs from his face quickly before you all see him: ) lol, thanks again!**

**_Yae_-I'm sorry for the long delay, and I hope it was worth the wait. I don't know…there's something about it just eating away at me. I don't think I've done my best this time around…:P (Probably because I'm a little sad about this story…aww…it's starting to get to me. ;tear-tear;) But I'll quickly cheer up because you've got sugary foods for me! Yay! Lol Thanks, thanks!**

**_IttanMomen_-Hey, that's right! Be positive about those exams! I'm sure you'll do well, too. Oh and I can't wait! I'll probably _faint_ from happiness, lol. ;p**

**_Ayato_- Poor Everyone…I'm horrible! But not to worry… :puts a finger over mouth: (Can't tell anything…geez, I'm so obvious…) lol**

**_Skydream_-Long time no see! Hey and as you can see, he's all right! You don't have to worry about him: ) Oh, I hope I'm not running out of steam just yet, I'm not done… Let me know what you think of this chapter, too please! lol**

**_Lady Rinoa_- Yay, lol Didn't I say before how its impossible for me to stop? I started using it again without even realizing it! (lol) Thanks for the compliment and the encouragement (Thanks to everyone for that, by the way, I really need it) it helps to move me along and get through these rough times… Anyway, don't be angry, it's not over just yet…**

…**I'm usually this way when the story is about to end. I'm getting all depressed and writing more. I hope it wasn't a drag! This is the_ longest_ chapter in this story, that I've written so far…I really hope it was worth the wait, the read, and the time….**

**Thanks again _everyone_, and once again, please review me. (Oh yeah, thanks to the 'Hits' system, I found out approximately, 200 people looked into my story…or 100, because they probably clicked through. lol. I don't like 'Hits'…all these people reading, and no one telling me what they actually think of it! lol. (yeah, that's why I'm moody! Lol)**

**So…I'll get back to work in a short while….**

_**StardustRay **_


	17. Awakening

_After recovering from devastating mood swings, I'm back and at your service. Haha! Okay, you'll find that this chapter returns the…(how can I say it…) shortness, lol. Update shall follow soon, so please enjoy and review, leisurely. BTW- Ittan Momen, you're the greatest! –dies in happiness- haha!(Of course I've spared words for everyone but I had to give a tremendous shout out, lol.) Alright…read on. _

* * *

_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

* * *

_Chapter 16: Awakening_

* * *

Another blackout? Or am I really dead? 

I don't understand. I feel like my mind is…somehow parting from my body. The taste of saltwater within my mouth has vanished, and total darkness has overtaken my eyes…of course, with my eyes closed, I couldn't see much _anyway_.

…However, scenes from my life began flashing before my eyes and I kept feeling the need to explore more…learn more about myself. Learn what I had been thinking at times when I was lied to or the times I was told _'no'_ by my parents. But no memory to my witnessing had satisfied me fully; I figured the only one that could do so…involves the actual murder. Was it really the alcohol that forced me to forget, or had I really banished Odine's death from my memories?

The anxiety that overcame me as I realized I was back in Timber, walking down the street with a familiar old man.

When the scene unfolded before my eyes, it dawned on me…I was reliving the past; I was reliving what actually happened the night of the murder…and somehow, I didn't feel nervous about learning the truth; it's as if I already knew what to expect.

And I watched us, walking down the street. Odine talking and rambling along, as usual…

"_You ought to fly over to Esthar and sight see sometime. The place is marvelous. I'm sure you and your family will have a great time there too. You can invite your friends if you'd like."_

_I've got a killer headache…I wish he'd shut up sometime soon._

"_I bet you anything, you're dying to get away from this place right about now. I assure you, one weekend in Esthar and you'll forget about all your troubles."_

_I groaned aloud and covered my ears, hoping he would take the hint, but the old bald guy kept talking. _

"…_So you say your fiancée gave you problems, right?" Odine asked me and I removed my hands from my face. "I know a way that will fix all your worries. You're a real nice guy Squall, and I know you don't deserve that kind of treatment, so I'll let you in on a little secret." He grinned from ear to ear, " I have the power to make a person disappear without a trace--" _

"_You bastard!" I quickly turned to him and punched him to the ground. "I won't have Selphie killed!" I climbed onto him and slammed his head against the concrete sidewalk several times, screaming, "You piece of—"_

_"Let go of me, I beg you! Please! I'm sorry!" He had yelled as I continued bashing his head into the hard pavement._

"_You have no right!" I shook him violently, "You have no right to say anything at all!" I was on the verge of crying, but I eased my grip on his shoulders instead. Just when I was about to let go completely, Odine started screaming again like some kind of maniac and pointed passed me. Only a second after freeing him, I was struck in the back of my head and fell down onto Odine like a dummy, basically paralyzed by the hit. _

_Disoriented, but shocked at the realization of a powerful blow, I found I couldn't move myself from off Odine. I felt a pair of hands lifting me from Odine and placing me beside his body, where I could see the side of his face as it froze in horror at the sight of a man wearing an all black ski mask and dark clothing as he towered us._

_In spite my inability to move from the ground, I was forced to stare at Odine's face as he lay there watching the figure that had just hit me. The sound of a baseball bat hitting the ground and trailing beside Odine had forced me to shutter slightly. I saw the bat rolling by Odine and stopping somewhere beside his head. _

_Odine's eyes had widened as I realized the man was now standing over him and bending down to reach his neck. Odine began to scream, but a pressing of hands closed his throat, and a playful scream came from the mouth of his attacker, hidden underneath the mask. _

_I was frozen stiff on the ground, witnessing a murder for the very first time in my life. It was horrible, and I tried to close my eyes but couldn't. I felt my body trembling when Odine's face fell to mine, as lifeless as could be, the sight terrified me and I gasped, staring into the face of death. The man dressed in black looked down at me, and I saw another person, wearing all black and a mask that covered his entire face as well, approaching him from behind. _

"_Who's this guy?" He asked his fellow comrade that had just taken Odine's life. _

"…_Some drunk, but he looks a little familiar, though." Astonishing, seconds after taking a life, he's functioning as if nothing had happened at all. _

_"So what do we do about him?"_

"…_He can be of use to us." _

_The other man came close to my face, maybe he thought I was asleep or not in my right mind; either way could be correct. I mean I can't move a single limb on my body, so it's as if my mind isn't present or my body has indeed fallen asleep. " Use? How's that?"_

"…_I'll explain later, we have to get a move on. Where's the car?"_

"_Up the road."_

"…_Put him in and let's go!"_

_Suddenly, the two men grabbed me from the ground. Their hands were everywhere. I knew I couldn't let them take me, or else they would kill me too. So just as they helped me from the ground, I fought against my immobilized body and lunged out to attack one of the masked men. He screamed and fought back, but I put my hands onto his face and pressed my thumbs into his eyes. He pushed me off and kicked me to the ground. _

_When I fell back, I realized there was no way I could stand again, so I gave up…falling into the dark world, only able to hear what had happened to me from that point on. They opened the car doors and threw me inside, and I landed roughly on the seat, hitting my head on the door opposite to the side I was thrown through. _

_The interior and seat cushions were stained with liquor and cigarette smoke, the smell was horrendous; I nearly puked in the back seat. Moments later, I heard the wooden bat following me, but it landed on the floor of the car instead. _

"_So, what **are** we going to do with this guy? We don't even know who he is." The driver asked his passenger as they climbed inside, slamming the doors shut. I could hear them talking, but their voices boomed in a blur._

"…_Look, the boss wanted us to do this job right, didn't he? So take a moment to realize our status, why don't you? A criminal wouldn't lie down next to his victim and stay there. …It's only human nature to flee the scene like a coward… Besides, that's Loire's son in the back seat. …Saw this guy in the offices on more than a few occasions, always had his nose in some document."_

"_Laguna Loire, the nosy bum from Timber Maniacs?"_

"_The one and only."_

" _Oh, I didn't know he had a son--Are you insane! Loire is practically a political figure! If his son is at jeopardy then who knows what will happen when they find out **we** did it—" _

"_Relax. If it were some ordinary person we just finished off, it wouldn't matter **how** **long** the investigation took…but this is different. We're dealing with Odine here, and we both know how prestigious this guy was. Everyone will want justice for his murder as soon as possible; therefore, taking the most suitable suspect that all evidence obviously points to, and executing him without a second thought, **that **will be most satisfying to the anxious public. Justice is served…and our deed is done." He chuckled, " …Seriously, were you even listening to the boss' summary on Odine?" _

_A few moments of silence passed and he returned, "We'll dump Loire in front of his door and cover our tracks back there. We have to move fast if this is going to work. Oh, and don't worry about us finding his place in time, I had to do a little research on Mr. Loire a while back…"_

"…_It's strange that we found those two walking together at night."_

"_Probably celebrating the new deal between the criminal district and magazine company." _

"_Man I hate those kind of people; the scum of the world…" **This** coming from the mouth of a criminal…how sad. _

_After a few minutes of riding around, the car finally came to a complete stop. The passenger got out from the car and walked to the side, opening the door and pulling me by my hair. I was too afraid to think about moving after he pulled me out of the car. I fell out and hit the ground with a crash, and he released his hand from my hair, then closed the door and got back inside the vehicle; swearing aloud. The car sped away… screeching tires was the last thing I heard…_

…_It felt like decades on that ground, and I was still frightened, in shock at just witnessing a murder. I couldn't move, even when I did try to pull my arm from under my body as all my weight had rested down and crushed my wrist._

"_Hey, you! Are you alright?" I heard someone speak…I couldn't reply for the life of me, I was so drunk. "Come on…" It sounded like a male's voice, a familiar male's voice; only I couldn't put a face to this particular voice. I felt like I had had an acquaintance with this person before. "…You…" He said, almost mutely to me._

_When my eyes finally focused and I got one good look at the man helping me, I nearly fainted. It was Irvine… Of all people, why Irvine? _

_Despite our earlier encounter, he continued to help me, "…I'm…really sorry." He said to me, holding my arm around his shoulder and guiding me inside my apartment. Why was he here? Coming back here to rub in my face that Selphie was now his? Or …Maybe he really came back to apologize? I didn't know…and at that time, I didn't care. All I wanted to do was get inside and mute out the world…_

_The next thing I remember, I was in my bed, sleeping…hoping that everything that had just happened was the result of all the heavy drinking I endured. I thought it was the price to pay for poisoning my body with alcohol. _

_Just when I finally fell asleep, I told myself it was all but a dream…a long crazy dream…and I pushed aside everything…wanting never to look back and reflect, wanting nothing more than peace. _

…_And I was granted peace… my body had fallen into a deep slumber… Every muscle in my being relaxed…I had even begun to feel my breathing cease…_

_I slowly let myself go; believing I went out to the bar, had a drink, and returned home without a scratch on my body, without ever meeting Odine, without ever seeing him murdered. For my own protection, I was ready to forget **everything**…_

"Breathe!" I felt a thump against my chest and another's lips on mine. A whirl of wind filled my mouth and lungs and I awoke with a shutter, coughing up saltwater. I coughed a few more whooping coughs before I had finally gotten rid of all the unwelcome water in my body.

I held my throat and looked around at the blurring objects swaying in my view. I wiped my eyes as everything settled and became one whole picture. To my surprise, there was a woman and a man standing over me.

The woman had long blonde hair and blue eyes, was tall and skinny, but had mostly looked concerned about me. "Welcome back." She said, her voice more serious and menacing than calming and welcoming.

I suddenly felt exhausted, and had fallen back onto the hard surface of who knows what…felt like iron or steel… It didn't matter…I had passed out completely…

* * *

A ray of light peered and colored the inside of my eyelids a reddish pink. I instinctively moved my hand to my face and blocked the sunlight to open my eyes without having worries of being blinded by its rays. Rising from the bed, I removed my hand when I realized the sunlight was no longer shining on my face. _Bed?_ What was I doing in bed? I looked around myself and saw that I had been placed in a _small_ cabin. …Somehow, I wished it were my bed at home…I briefly remembered that memory from before, and lying in my own bed... 

Pushing all thoughts aside, I studied my surroundings. I suddenly felt cluttered and stuffy…

The walls were dark, which made the room feel tinier, but the other side of the room seemed to be about six feet from where my bed stood. There was a stool and a short dresser pressed together in the corner, and a few boxes were stacked near the door.

Waking up with a terrible headache and finding _this_, I'm becoming nauseated just by sitting in one place. But maybe my stomach is becoming upset because I'm rocking side-to-side…almost like I'm on a boat maybe?

"Where am I?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head. What happened to me? I thought I was with Rinoa… "Rinoa? Where is she?"

I rose to my feet and stumbled toward the auburn door, apparently I'm still weak and in no shape to walk around; yet, regardless of what my body is going through, I won't rest until I find her.

Opening the door and peering out, I noticed the ocean all around and flying seagulls in the air. What kind of boat is this I wonder? I fought against my weakness and made my way to the deck. I saw the blonde haired woman's back, her head downcast as if she were staring at the floors; maybe she's reading something? She looked up, probably sensing that I was behind her, and turned back to me. Setting the book down while grinning she said, "You're up finally."

"…Who are you and where's Rinoa?" I had tried to push aside my uneasiness as I spoke.

"Please, calm yourself and have a seat. I'll explain everything." She motioned her hand to the beach chairs on the deck and I walked over to join her on the boat's deck. As I sat, I nearly trembled, anxiously wanting to hear about Rinoa. "You're Mr. Loire, correct?"

"Yes, and _who_ are you?"

"My name is Quistis, Quistis Trepe, and there are two others with me who are also onboard this boat, Watts and Zone. We were lucky to have found you on Esthar's shore yesterday."

"Yesterday?" …I slept for almost an entire day? But…what's even more unbelievable is the fact that I washed up on the shore…only, what happened to Rinoa? "Where's Rinoa, have you seen her?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

My heart's pace quickened, "But what…what's happened to her?"

"Quistis! Give me a hand in here!" A man yelled from somewhere inside the boat's cabin. Quistis jumped out of her seat and ran inside.

"Hey wait!" I yelled, standing quickly and forcing my body to follow behind the hasty woman. We ran around, opposite to the room I had wakened in, and ran into another cabin room. When I peered inside the cabin, I saw one man holding a person down on the bed, but I couldn't tell who it had been. Suddenly, the person screamed aloud while coughing, and in an instant, I knew it was Rinoa.

"Rinoa!" I called out and ran inside, but was stopped by an arm blocking the doorway; it was Quistis.

With a frown on her youthful face she sighed, "Please…we're doing everything we possibly can for her right now. Can you wait for me in your room, I promise I'll explain everything to you then."

"What's…happening…? What's wrong with Rinoa?"

"Mr. Loire."

I had ignored her, and reluctantly turned away from the door, limping back to my cabin on the other side of the boat.

…I'm just glad Rinoa is alive…

--------

After moments of fighting against my body, I managed to make it to my puny bed in the corner of the tiny room. I had smothered myself in a pillow and closed my eyes thinking about Rinoa's present state. We had been at sea and in the water for who knew how long…it's a miracle she's still alive…

I thought for sure we both died…_and_ I saw my life flash before my eyes too.

…Makes me wonder about Odine. He must have had so many enemies when he lived…

Seifer said that Caraway would act on vengeance should Rinoa die in the forest. …So Caraway hired someone to take down Odine, which means I'm really not a murderer. I was wrongfully accused and found guilty; this entire case was ridiculous from the start… But…I do feel a bit at ease when I know for _myself_ that I'm not guilty. A heavy burden has just been lifted from my shoulders… I finally answered my own question by taking a look in the last place I thought I'd ever find anything…myself. However, being innocent doesn't mean I'm entirely innocent. I've had my share of rotten thoughts as well…I'm no better than any of the others back in the forest. I still admit that I shouldn't be alive right now. I guess…I'll have to learn to forgive myself…and start over…

But…

Even though I _am_ innocent, I can never go back home. No one will ever accept me into society as I am now. Because of my so-called victim, I'll be exiled from Galbadia, never to see my family or friends again.

I can see it now… People unrelated to the courts and witnesses will try to piece together the crime and judge me, especially those of Odine's fan clubs…and I'll never live in peace.

My life is ruined, no thanks to Caraway….

Why did I have to survive? Why did my body fight for survival, or better yet, why did these people rescue Rinoa and me?

Just as I had mentally asked myself that question, I received a knock at the door. When the door opened, I saw Quistis entering the room slowly. She smiled and closed it behind herself as she walked inside.

I felt myself sigh in relief; if Rinoa had died, Quistis would probably wail or look a bit depressed, but she was smiling at the moment: A smile that had mollified my heart.

"Rinoa's fine. She's asleep right now." She said, walking toward the dresser and taking a seat on a stool beside it.

I sat up from my laying position and leaned my back against the wall behind me, "Why was she screaming like that?"

"…She's ill. The ocean's mist, especially at night, isn't something one can swim around in and not expect to catch pneumonia. … Odd, you don't seem to be ill at all."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I haven't a clue why."

"Neither do I." She giggled softly, but sighed, "Oh my, I guess you should be thankful that you're still around. If our boat hadn't showed up when it did, you two would have frozen to death." She rested her hands on her thighs and continued, "As I was saying before, we found you on the shoreline of Esthar. We had been sailing around all day long trying to find where Rinoa would be, but…we didn't expect her to be with anyone else besides..."

"…Who? What do you mean?"

"…My companions and I, we work for her father." There's no surprise there, I should expect _his_ name in _everything_, seeing that Seifer mentioned something about a signal before. "…Caraway promptly sent us out when it was first broadcast on the news that some disturbances erupted from the vessel carrying the convicts. They say Esthar was notified immediately when the warden sent out an emergency distress signal somehow. By then, Mr. Caraway already _knew_ it was Rinoa."

"…So, what about the whole Odine ordeal? What did _I _have to do with that?"

"…Well, to tell you the truth, it was all a coincidence. They said you were there and so…"

"Yeah…they set me up as the perfect suspect, right?" Tell me something I don't know…but I guess I'll have to be more specific…

"Correct. Caraway used this to his advantage. You see…if Rinoa and Seifer were already dead, then she would be avenged, but if they were still alive, you would most likely tell them about Odine's death. And…Seifer would know what to do from that point on."

I understand now, so that's why he waited so long to help Rinoa escape. He seemed surprised when I mentioned Odine's murder… I guess Seifer was unsure if it were safe enough in the outside world to put their plan into motion.

"If Rinoa and Seifer survived, the next vessel would be there only chance to escape." Quistis muttered. She stood from the stool and walked toward the door, "…But…hours before we came across you, there was an explosion just a ways out from where we rescued you all. We took our chances and sailed toward the explosion. That's when Watts spotted two figures on the shoreline, and we realized it was our target… You both were freezing and _pale_. Without time to spare, we loaded you onto the boat, and sailed away quickly. …With our current disguise, we shouldn't be disturbed by Esthar troops scouting the seas for anything suspicious."

Quistis opened the door and allowed the sunlight to fill the room, "We're onboard a fisherman's cargo ship at the moment and are on our way to Fisherman's Horizon. We should be there by this evening if we don't run into any trouble."

"…What are we going to do there?"

"We'll meet with Mr. Caraway and he'll gives us the heads up on what's next. I know you have many questions, but I'm afraid I'm unable to answer them all. Like you, I only know little of what's happened so far. Please be patient and wait inside until we dock at FH."

What? They haven't come up with anything to do from then on? I scratched my forehead and lowered my eyes to the floor.

Quistis sighed, "He wanted to be sure Rinoa was safe before anything else could happen." She obviously knows what's going through my mind. …These people have planned and strategically set up everything else, so its only natural to feel _shocked_ when hearing that something was done by spur of the moment. "Anyway, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you up when we get there." Quistis said before exiting. She closed the door behind herself quickly.

…It looks like I'm still a prisoner… I may have gotten Rinoa out alive, but I'm an outsider. I guess they don't want me walking around their boat freely.

I sighed heavily and lied back on my bed again, seeing it was the only thing to do at the moment. Quistis was right; maybe I _should_ get some sleep. It's been awhile since I've intentionally slept _anyway._

But how can I sleep when I've got so much going through my mind at the moment. I don't understand what's happening anymore. A day ago I wanted to kill Caraway, but now…I need to get some information out of him: that selfish idiot. He devised all this just to get Rinoa out…and Rinoa only, not caring who was caught in the crossfire in between his schemes...

…It's almost like my fate really isn't in my hands after all…

With a nervous intake of oxygen, I forced my eyes closed and turned over in my bed…and tried…god did I try, to put all my worries aside just to get one good day of rest…

* * *

**(The) Author's Return:**

* * *

**Special note:**

_**Everyone please forgive me, I appreciate every last one of you, especially those who encouraged me with every passing chapter. I read over my recent commentary and realized how selfish I had been! I was soo moody too. So I'm sorry about that, and Thanks for taking time out to read. **_

**Alright, alright…_flame_ me. I know, it was a terrible drag, wasn't it! –Sings- Flame me, Blame me, but you can never Shame me! lol, I'm kidding…(Of course you know that already…) **

**About the next update, I'll hope to answer everyone's questions. So if you're lost by this chapter or simply don't want me to forget something, please ask me and I'll be sure to answer you by including everything…(with the update, I mean.) Not too sure, but the next chapter could be another long one, would you like that?**

**_And the list of Thank Yous follows_: (Seriously, _Everyone's_ reviews made my day!) :tear-tear: lol**

**_Blue-_Thanks for the cookies…oh, Squall's stomach is aching now. (He ate too many of them, lol. Poor thing, haha) Oh yeah, epics are usually worth the long wait anyway, but 6 months is an awful long time! Say, you made perfectly good sense to me. I guess I'm trying to break away from my insecurities with everything I write. I do tend to over work myself sometimes, and you're right, I should cut myself some slack. Looking on the bright side, I'm glad about the hit counters; at least I know this story gets some attention, lol. Thanks again for the inspiring words, I'm grateful!**

**_Arkv01_- I'm speechless, honestly. (But…my talkative side contradicts me…so…) Sorry about that cliffhanger. I didn't think it would be so bad a cliffy…_most likely because I'm the one doing the writing!_ But anyway, I'm really glad you love the story. You don't know how much tension released when I received your review, Thanks again! Film of the Year! That would be awesome. lol **

**_Lady-Rinoa-_ Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your rough day, but I'm more than glad my last chapter was able to calm you. (I guess we both felt down.) Well, like I said before, I want to avoid being too angst…and try to bring _hope_ into the situation. I have to remind myself that it's an action, not a tragedy, lol. So, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well! Remember to smile all the time, even through hardship! (And no, I'm not quoting Yuna! lol) BTW- I'm glad your story is doing so well, aren't you glad you decided to continue? I'm really looking forward to plunging into your next chapter! lol**

**_Yae_-You hoped right, but trouble's brewing still…and I'm not too sure if she'll hang on long enough…hehe. Aww, I didn't know it would be that sad! Mostly, I think I felt a bit depressed as I wrote that chapter…which resulted in me being moody and crap…lol. I'm kinda sad that this story is about to end, and I don't want to disappoint anyone. Besides, if I add that "Things you didn't know" list at the end of my story, you would be greatly shocked by the original version. Oh yeah, and as for the hits…I'm not really worried about it anymore. If anything, I want to urge people to read _Confusion _and _Fleeting Hope._ (Two very important chapters that everyone just freely passes up, lol, besides, those two chapters are the introduction to the real action in the story, _and _they were great!) Okay, Okay, enough of my rambling—oh dear, more sweets! Paradise! Lol Thank you!**

**_Orestes666_- Thank you so much! Hey…I know, I know…its cliché, but I'm going to make sure _everything _happens to them before it's over, you know? (Which…sounds heartless, doesn't it?) Geez…anyway, I'm trying to avoid chapter exaggeration, I want to end this with a bang…well at least try to! lol, Alright, I'm shutting up now! Thanks again!**

**_Yuleen75_- ToT –Stop! You're making me cry too! ToT Lol. Hey, I wanted _everything_ in that chapter, so I put everything in there! I'm glad it paid off! Sadly…I have no clue what this chapter will bring… The whole Odine thing…I didn't want it to be too…brutal, so I toned it down a lot. Well, I hope I didn't disappoint now. –sighs- lol But thanks anyway for the lovely review! ToT **

**_Tsuki Leonhart_- Hey, I didn't think you'd take a look into this story; I was surprised actually. lol. I'm glad you like it, because I'm trying so hard not to let anyone down. Hmm, I merely created this story just to have fun for the summer, but who knew it would turn into something more, eh? I'm glad to hear from you! Are you updating anytime soon, I'm waiting! lol (Hey, no pressure!)**

**_Ittan-Momen_- No! Put the chainsaw away! Please! You can take the entire T-Rexaur cast, I swear! You can have them all! Lol (Why not? They're not _mine_! Hehe) Say, they ate all the cookies you gave to me, anyway. –Points to the T-Rexaurs—the beasts scatter in a flash— Besides, that was a pretty good demonstration you gave about smashing T-Rexaur eggs! (Everyone, take a moment to read that, I promise it's worth it, and you guys _wonder_ why I enjoy reviews so much, lol) Also, you shared that quote with me, so I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to share it with them.**

"_**Inject your soul with liberty. It's free! It's free!" **_

**Of course I'd like to join you there, lol. I don't see why I even became embarrassed about it before, hadn't I already warned everyone about my commentary? That gives me the advantage of sharing myself without any worries of what others might think. (The More You Know) –Anyone familiar with that? Lol-- ****Hmm, but whatever you do dear, _don't _eat those berries! lol! Thanks for all the reviews; they were great _and_ hilarious! I swear, when I saw 11 new email messages, I _knew_ it was you! lol …Titanic? No! haha, honestly, I didn't think about that until you pointed it out! (I swear its not a rip off, lol) No wonder I was so depressed, that's a really sad movie! lol. I can't stand similarities… -sighs-**

**(First Jurassic Park, and now Titanic, this is great. Lol) **

**Alright the goofiness has been pushed aside. I shall say this in one breath:**

**Let me know if this chapter was horrible-bad-okay-good-great-or excellent. Much appreciation for your words, whatever they might be! Hopefully, you won't wait too long for the next chapter. …I'm taking my time with these for a reason, okay? lol Thanks again _everyone!_ **

**Hey, _Jen,_ I told you I wouldn't forget about Quistis! **

_**StardustRay**_


	18. Renaissance

_To make up for the shortness and not so good (in my own opinion) last chapter, I bring you this one. And I warned you, I asked but no one answered directly, so now look…Longness happened! lol Before it starts, a few words for a few people—Blue, you're going to be pleased with a certain event in this chapter, you'll see.---doom18769, it's a bizarre plot, isn't it?—Tsuki—Thank you!---Ittan-momen—You've eaten those berries, haven't you? O.O lol thanks Ittanmomen, I didn't see that! lol_

_Thanks and Enjoy!_

* * *

**_Between Heaven and Hell_**

* * *

_Chapter 17: Renaissance_

* * *

A loud thump on the door sounded, waking me instantly, and a man barged into the room with a wide grin on his face, giving me the jitters. He brought inside a wave of wind, but surprisingly no light had shone from the opened door; still, the bitterness of the cold air seemed to get the better of me and I shivered underneath my cover. 

He stood there in the doorway, wearing a white windbreaker jacket and blue shorts, an odd combination might I add, as if immune to the cold. I started to scream at him to shut the door, but he walked to the dresser and placed a plate of food down, allowing an apple to roll about the dresser's countertop. He then walked to the door and turned back to me smirking, "Bon appetit." And with that, he excused himself from the room.

I stared at the dish, marveled by its presence…and wiped my eyes to be sure it was no mirage. When the image of food hadn't vanished, I got from my bed quickly and limped toward the dresser.

On the plate, there was fried fish and colorful vegetables ranging from potatoes to bell peppers, something I'm not too fond of; however…_anything_ looked desirable and appealing to me at that moment. I moved the stool before the dresser so I could sit and eat from the plate, devouring the fish in gulps at time. Because my nose hurt whenever I breathed through it, I was careful to inhale air with a fish-filled mouth. I had used the fork to round up pieces of seasoned-boiled potatoes, and other pieces of vegetables, and then pushed the forkful inside my mouth as well.

After scraping away the last pieces of food, I took a deep breath, glad that my stomach could now have some closure, but noticed I had lacked a drink. … I looked down at the green apple and smiled, taking it into my hands and wiping its peel with my shirt, "Next…" I mumbled before taking a vicious bite from its mid and chewing quickly. I feared biting my tongue in the process, but then again…the sting would subside easily due to my level of hunger and eagerness to get something inside my system.

I stood from the stool, sighed refreshingly, and headed to the exit with the half-bitten apple in hand. After opening the door, I decided to explore the boat's exterior once again. It was dark… Weren't we supposed to be in FH by evening, according to Quistis?

Closing my door, I walked around to the front deck, but kept going, making the turn until I found the room Rinoa was kept inside. I finished the apple and threw the core on the ground, then opened the door quickly before anyone had a chance to stop me, and saw Rinoa sleeping in bed.

Before I walked any closer, I took a moment to study her fragile body as it lay motionlessly on the bed, for a second, the sight frightened me: Rinoa could easily have been mistaken for dead. Around her eyes were dark circles, her nose was red, and because the room was so quiet, I could hear her heavy breathing from where I stood at the door. She had wrapped herself in the crème comforter and tightened her fists around its edges to secure a wrench safe grip; never wanting the warmth to end, I take it… Seeing Rinoa this way had broken my heart. I wasn't sure if it were a good idea to stay with her, continue to be a useless watcher, or leave… I sighed heavily and was about to face the door, when I saw her eyes opening slowly.

"Rinoa…?" I questioned her consciousness and she looked at me, forcing a smile and weakly closing her eyes again. I shut the door all the way, hearing its snap behind me, and walked toward her bed. "Rin, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just…I'm just not feeling too well." She whispered.

I could understand why, I mean…I made her jump into the ocean, didn't I? "…I'm sorry." …Apologies, the _last_ thing _I _wanted to hear, the _first_ thing to come from my mouth…

"No…I've never taken a liking to water anyway." But that's not the case, Rinoa. It was stupid of me to come up with that kind of plan in the first place. We were both weak and hadn't eaten in days, that's not the type of status to swim in. "Even so…" She finished, "I'm just glad we made it out alive. I almost died out there…"

…That makes two of us. "…I thought you _did_."

She laughed shakily, "Probably…I can't explain it… I felt my entire body shutting down, but I couldn't warn you at that time. All I could do was…drown."

As odd as it may sound Rinoa, "…Me too." She smiled again, but coughed into the palm of her hand. "…Are you okay?" I asked walking near her as she cringed her body into a ball, coughing into her palm once again.

"I'm fine…" She tried to laugh but coughed again, and I sat beside her on the bed as she ceased her coughing, "I…was wondering how we might have ended up there. I guess we were closer to the shore than we thought, huh?"

"Maybe..." …Closer probably, or maybe my body took control of me again. Either way, I'd rather not know. "Whatever it was…we shouldn't look into it much."

"I agree… Better to say we lived through it all, right?"

"Precisely."

Rinoa sighed, "Squall…thanks for staying with me."

In the water, I didn't know what came over me; it was as if she were my duty somehow. Although…we _did_ make a promise before stealing the vessel… So in a way, I had remembered her words, and by that time, I had already decided that if she were to die, I would follow. "…Well…I just did what I wanted to do."

Once again, Rinoa's smile returned and I couldn't help but feel my own mouth itching to do the same. We had stared at one another for a few moments in total silence, until the door creaked open and Quistis spoke inside, "We've docked, but Esthar's onto us. Hurry up and grab some coats from the dresser. Then, follow us into city." Just as quickly as she entered, she had exited, and Rinoa turned to me with worry in her eyes.

I took a deep breath and eased my tensed shoulders with a shrug muttering, "Looks like we're not finished just yet." As I stood from her bed, Rinoa sat up and flung her legs to the side to join me. It's good to know how strong Rinoa's will is, seeing how swiftly she moves when danger lurks nearby. I crouched near the dark wooded dresser and opened a drawer. There were shirts and coats all folded into layers readying themselves for usage, just as Quistis said before. "Rinoa, here." I grabbed a blue coat for her and a black jacket for myself.

She took the coat from my hand quickly and put it on with haste, then trailed toward the door. I slid my arms inside the jacket's sleeves and realized there was a hood with a trim of fur around it. I sighed sadly, but ignored the puffiness and followed Rinoa out of the room.

As we made our way off the boat and onto the docks, I put the furry hood to good use and pulled it over my head, hiding my face with its deepness. It would at least hide my face from any strangers; seeing that I _am_ an outlaw or whatever fancy name they've given us. Rinoa's coat lacked a hood, but her hair more than made up for it; she had taken her hair out of the ponytail and allowed it to flow down her face and shoulders.

If our stealth techniques couldn't hide us, the darkness would. It was _almost _pitch black outside, had it not been for the lamps on each of the corners of the planked docking area. Through the dim light, I could see Quistis' figure up ahead taking a tall steel ladder up, and her two partners were even farther in front her, midway through climbing the ladder. …Do they realize the conditions we're in; I'm limping and Rinoa's ill. But I guess, when _Esthar's_ traveling somewhere behind, who cares if there are any stragglers…

When we finally reached the ladder, I let Rinoa go before me, and then I followed after her. I took one look at the docks before I went up and saw nothing; is Quistis absolutely_ sure_ someone's on our trail? Or maybe Esthar's using that camouflage advan-…no I don't want to think about it.

* * *

"Quickly, in here!" Quistis announced as we approached an old boarded up house in Fisherman's Horizon. After climbing up that ladder, we had run down more than a few stairs, which led into the district area where houses were scattered about everywhere. I couldn't make out anything I saw because of the darkness, but…I did see what Quistis had pointed to, the most raggedy two story house I had ever laid eyes on. It…wasn't at all what I had expected to see, but at least we could hide _somewhere…_

As we reached the door, it fluttered open with a bang against the inner wall behind, almost taking the door from its hinges. A tall man stood in the doorway, face as stern and menacing as ever. Of course, with him standing in the darkness like that, he'd look menacing regardless. "Hurry up." He ordered; standing aside so the four of us could enter into the hideaway.

Just as Rinoa walked inside, she ran toward the man and wrapped her arms around his waist shouting, "Dad!" He gave her a warm bear hug as well, and the two seemed to forget that danger was still brewing. So _this_ is her father? I've read all those articles about him but I've never seen any pictures of him…if I had, he certainly doesn't look the same. But maybe the past few months have stressed him out and his appearance has changed? It's a possibility. He was skinny and doesn't seem to have eaten in days because his frame looked so weak. His graying hair was slicked back and under his eyes were darkening circles similar to Rinoa's.

"Rinoa…" He muttered, keeping her close, all the while the rest of us had still remained quietly in one place. I removed the hood from my head and saw the others fidgeting around the room. The guy in the white windbreaker closed the door and walked over to Quistis with a smirk. Before he could tell her his amusing thought, Caraway sighed, "I knew you would make it out alive. Nothing can get in the way of a _Caraway!"_

Rinoa smiled as she received a kiss on her forehead from her father. She hadn't said another word to him, but I guess…it was already understood what she might have wanted to say.

However, if _she_ wouldn't speak, I knew what _I _wanted to say to him…I had quite a few words stashed away, _specially_ reserved for _him_. But…Rinoa was near…I couldn't possibly strike at him when she's around, it wouldn't be fair. I didn't want her to turn away from me…

I sighed and faced a boarded window behind me, but Rinoa noticed my sighing… She cleared her throat, and then I heard her walking toward me, "Dad, _this_ is Squall. I owe him my life." She said, tugging on both of my shoulders, forcing me to turn around and face her father.

"Squall Loire, yes I know well who he is." He paced toward Rinoa and me, and eased his seriousness into a smile. Caraway held out his hand, motioning for me to shake it, which I did, _after_ a few moments of hesitation. He strongly spoke, "It's a _pleasure_ to meet you."

…A pleasure _all right_: it's a pleasure to meet the bastard responsible for getting me here. I faked a smile and nodded my head slowly, suppressing the need to do some serious damage to him. But all thoughts ceased when Rinoa rested against my back weakly, and I felt her hot breath against my shoulder. Despite her happiness and excitement, she remains unwell.

"Rinoa." I said while releasing his hand and facing her. She stumbled onto me and nearly passed out, but I caught her and looked around, "Quick, she needs to lie down somewhere!"

"What's wrong with my baby?" Caraway questioned us all, but everyone practically ignored him. Quistis motioned for me to follow her as one of the guys decided to explain Rinoa's illness to Caraway. I could still hear their voices throughout the house as I followed Quistis with Rinoa in my arms, pacing down a brief hallway, which led into dark bedroom.

"Sir, she probably has a cold. I'll get her more sedatives if you like, sir."

"Thank you, Watts. If it's possible, see if there's any penicillin in the cabinet too."

"Right away, sir."

"Good. Zone, have a look outside and make sure the coast is clear. I don't want Kramer to run into any trouble on his way here."

"Roger!"

Kramer? Who's he?

I laid Rinoa on the bed gently and moved her legs underneath the soft sheets already spread across the mattress. I wondered; has Caraway lived in this house for sometime? Quistis walked out of the room to help her partners I guess, but I stayed with Rinoa.

I planted a kiss on her cheek and watched her eyes close for a longer period of time.

"…Squall, all I need is rest. Don't worry about me…." She said softly, turning over and falling asleep quickly. I smiled, allowing her to do so.

"…I know, Rinoa." I muttered, and quietly made my way out of the room.

Caraway was standing near a boarded window, tapping his foot with great haste, as if lost in thought. He rubbed his chin and sighed, "He's late… Why does he always do this to me?"

"Who's late?" I asked, approaching him slowly. He had turned from the window and stared down at me, almost frowning.

"Cid Kramer…we're supposed to make the switch at midnight."

Cid Kramer, now there's a name I am unfamiliar with. He's probably the only one that hasn't been arrested or convicted for any felony. He might even be the only person whose name isn't in the news or headlines a lot, although it's vaguely familiar.

"Kramer's bringing a small vessel to me, that's where I'll put Rinoa on it and—" Was I right or what? He thinks of no one but Rinoa…I know, she's his daughter, so I guess— "Don't look at me like that! You think I'd let _you_ go with my baby?" What look? I gave him a look? I wasn't even aware of it…I guess it came natural to me… "From the first moment you stepped inside, I saw that you despised me."

He closed the gap between us and pointed in my face, " I know who you are Mr. Loire, you're a man whose just lost everything, you were forced to watch other people die by those T-Rexaurs, you've witnessed more casualties than most soldiers have in war, and you were forced to mingle with people unlike yourself; I know exactly who you are. You're someone most likely to kill another simply because all the steam, anger, and hate in your body have nested, and you can release on _anyone_ at _any_ given moment! You're a bomb just waiting to happen. I refuse to let you go with my daughter as you are. This is the last step for you, son."

With his words said, something inside me suddenly snapped…and I unleashed…_hell hath no fury. _

"Who do you think you are? You don't know _anything_ about me! Yeah, I've seen people eaten by beasts, watched them cry out loud for help, but couldn't do anything to save them! I was driven to _fear_ beyond _any_ imagination! I even lost control of myself at times, but through it all, I protected _your_ daughter with my life! I didn't _have _to do that, I chose to! So it shouldn't be a surprise that I'd even hate the sight of you! It was _your _fault that I had to go through all that! Because of you, I was sentenced to _death! _But do you really want to know _my problem_, why I _truly_ despise you! It's because of _you_ _Rinoa_ was sent there, and she starved, bled, and _cried_ for you! You have no idea what it was like in that place, and Rinoa survived there for _weeks_, in _hell _and all for_ you_! That's more than _any_ of us can take, put together!"

"What! What did you say!"

"You heard me! I know you heard every single word I just said! She told me… She told me _everything_! …You bastard! She took the fall for _you_!" My legs carried me over so I could stand directly before Caraway, intentionally glaring at him. "I'll be damned if I let you get away with that! You're responsible for not one, but _two_ seats on that vessel…" I had flashed two fingers in his face for emphasis, and he merely flinched. I pulled my hand away and stepped back from him, glaring still. "If you don't like that, _Mr. Caraway_, tough luck, because Rinoa's going with me. Quite frankly, I don't trust her with you—"

"And neither do I." A voice called from the door, and a short man wearing a red coat and brown pants was standing in the doorway. He pushed his glasses up from his nose and gave Caraway a wide grin.

"Kramer, you son of a—come here!" Caraway shouted and walked over to the man, wrapping him in a friendly embrace. The two old men laughed heartily and Caraway turned to face me once more. "This is Cid Kramer—" You've got to be kidding me. "For your convenience, _he's _taking Rinoa, not me."

"Well I'd hope so." Cid cut in, "You'd have the poor girl working fulltime in the offices as usual." In the offices, all right…more like slaving to produce more powder for his underground schemes…

Cid's smile became a frown as he cleared his throat to speak again, "…I was watching the news a little while ago and heard that a vessel exploded on the shores of Esthar." The vessel? I knew about the explosion, but…the others… "Colonel Biggs stated that only one person made it out alive, and has yet to release the name. They say he was immediately taken to the hospital and is currently being treated. He's most likely to survive, although he's still not doing too well." Zell or Seifer…? It's probably Zell because Seifer was chained inside. Damn… How am I going to tell Rinoa about Seifer? Then again, she knew what would happen anyway… "Well, no other news had been released on that incident, so I finally decided to come over here. Where's little Rin at anyway?"

"Asleep in the back." I said, leaning myself against the wall behind me. …Why do they insist on giving her these kiddy names? Rinoa's not _that_ young, is she? Come to think of it, she's never told me her age…

"Squall Loire?" He said, walking closer to me with a smirk. "You don't know how many lives you've saved with that act you pulled in Timber. With Odine gone, the Criminal Justice Center is lost. You see; that was the last vessel to sail before some nutcase takes over Odine's position. And as far as we all know, no idiot in his right mind would take up that offer."

"…So now I'm some kind of hero?" I had asked with little interest of receiving an answer, and Cid's smirk became a laugh.

He nodded his head, "Plain and simple, yes."

I sighed and pushed myself from off the wall, and left the old men together in the room, "I'm not a killer." I said, walking down the hallway and entering Rinoa's room. Before I shut the door behind myself, I listened to their conversation.

"We don't have any time to waste. Have you loaded your boat with the necessary equipment?" Caraway asked in a huff.

"Listen to me, the only thing that's missing is Rinoa. Edea's outside freezing, she'd like it if we can move quickly. We _both _would rather have this settled immediately." Cid answered him gruffly, and Caraway chuckled. Judging by Cid's tone, he sounded a bit angry. "I don't find any of this funny, Caraway. If there's something I don't know, you'll spit it out this minute. If there's a catch—"

"No catch Kramer, but why did you bring along Edea?"

"…"

"You told her?"

"…No, she invited herself onboard." Caraway burst out into laughter and Cid sighed, in relief or anxiety, I don't know?

Caraway ceased his laughter and spoke, "This is _our_ deal, and you have my word. I will never come after you again so long as my daughter is transported to safety, am I clear?"

"Very clear indeed, but you do know if anything happens against my will--"

"You'll run."

"What do you mean?"

"…Trust me, I know exactly what's going on." Caraway muttered a few words, but what mostly came to my attention was, "…A rat."

"Squall…" Rinoa whispered from the bed, and I immediately closed the door and walked to her. "What's going on?" She asked as I sat beside her and moved my hand on her back.

"They're getting ready to take you away."

"…Who?--"

"A man named Cid."

"…Cid?" She sat up, almost excitedly and wiped her eyes, "Cid's here?"

"Yes." Why all the sudden excitement? "…Who is he?"

"Cid and my father were close friends before they became colleagues. …But the office work separated them from one another. My dad did anything to be successful, while Cid stuck to the rules… In other words, my father cheated and Cid played fair."

Rinoa looked down into the sheets and sighed, "…Cid always looked out for me since I was a kid…ever since my mom left, he had been so nice to me. He said he'd always be there when I needed him, even though we both knew my dad was already there… But as time passed on, I saw less of him, and eventually, I found out he had become a millionaire and moved to Balamb with his wife, leaving Deling City behind for good. …He and his wife were struggling financially, so my dad helped them out, but he did so with bloodstained money. When Cid found out about the secrets to my dad's success, he was threatened and silenced with money by my father himself..."

So that's why she's surprised to hear about him now, no wonder. He was the only positive role model in her life. Rinoa smiled and looked at me, as I had lost myself in thought. She touched my cheek and whispered, "I heard what you said to my father..."

"…Rin, I—"

"Thank you."

"…Y-You're welcome." She smiled again and removed her hand from my face. Rinoa leaned over and coughed, then tried to move her legs from the bed to stand. I touched her forehead and she looked at me with a smile. "Rinoa, you're burning up."

She moved my hand and sighed, "Quit worrying about me and help me out of here. We'll have to get to Cid _anyway_."

I smiled and respected her wishes, and then I grabbed her hands to help her from the bed. "Rinoa…how old are you?" I just had to ask out of pure curiosity.

"Twenty."

"Ah…"

"My dad always calls me baby, even though I'm older now and can take care of myself." She laughed softly, "If that's what you mean."

"Yeah…and Cid called you 'little Rin.'"

"Oh _that_, that name will never get old." She said with a chuckle, which resulted in a cough. She covered her mouth and forced the cough away. After shaking her head with a groan, Rinoa headed to the door, "Let's hurry." I nodded and followed her, knowing full well she was the _only_ one getting on the boat. She can go anywhere without Caraway, it's fine with me, but…if _I_ can't go with her, then I don't really think I can trust Cid either…

"Rinoa!" Cid yelled aloud when he saw us coming from the hallway. Rinoa moved to him quickly and gave him a hug, and Cid squeezed her in his arms, "It's a blessing to see you again, darling. My old soul couldn't take it any longer…but when there was hope of your survival, you best believe I was ready to get you out of there."

Again Rinoa was speechless, seeing the people she loves for the first time in what felt like centuries…no words can explain her excitement, I suppose. Cid broke from the embrace and looked at her, "Now we must leave before you're captured _again_." He said with a smile, and she nodded to him. Cid turned around to Caraway and closed his eyes with a nod of his own.

Caraway smirked and walked to the door, opening for the two of them, and watched as Cid grabbed Rinoa's hand to lead her out. She looked back at me and smiled, but quickly realized I wasn't following her. The smile had vanished.

"Squall, what are you waiting for?"

There wasn't anything I could say; _I_ was speechless and stupefied. I didn't know what to say to her; good luck, goodbye, take care? It was all so stupid. I had made it all this way with Rinoa…and now, I'm handing her over just like that… I feel so foolish…

"Squall?"

"…" I hadn't answered…I chose to remain quiet. Nothing I said would quench her thirsty curiousness as to why I hadn't moved…

"Cid, let go of me! Please!" She said, trying to yank her hand from Cid's, but the old man kept his grip tight.

He sighed, "I'm sorry Rinoa, but we can't take him with us. I'm only responsible for you."

Rinoa's eyes had widened and she turned to me in disbelief. "But I…—I _want_ you to bring him along! Please!" She turned to Cid again, begging him to understand, but he ignored her. She began to cry weakly and I started to run toward her, wanting to grab her from Kramer's hold and run like the wind…or escape like the breath in my body had upon hearing the distress in her voice. I'll be damned if I let them take her away from me, I can't let this happen… Rinoa, I….

But Caraway stopped me, running away from the door, drawing a gun, and pulling me back by my arm as Rinoa continued, "Dad! How could you!"

"Rinoa, you'll thank me for this someday." Caraway spoke, sounding as unconcerned as ever…pointing the gun toward my neck, but I watched as Rinoa was practically dragged out…

"…I hate you." Rinoa said, and with those words, Cid pulled her out of the house completely. The sight of Rinoa's smoldering eyes caused Caraway to swallow his breath hard; I could see the lump in his throat slowly traveling down his neck.

Pushing away the tingling from my eyes and mouth, I questioned Caraway, "Why?" My question was simple, without any accusation or grimace in my voice…

Caraway lowered the gun muttering; "You'll understand later…I just wanted you to see it for yourself."

"See what?"

"Since you like me _so much_, I thought I'd give you a bit of a lesson…" He released my arm and turned away from me, "Rinoa's my daughter, she's my responsibility, but I hadn't acted like her father for sometime now. Rinoa worked for me, and not just your everyday chores…she was trained to defend us in times of danger. I treated her like one of these kids you see working for me now. I cheated her out of a life she should've been happy with… You're right, Rinoa took the fall for me…and now, this is my way of giving her back the life I stole. I had wanted to get her out sooner, before she was sentenced. I was about to handle the last bit of business with three gentlemen, but something about them turned me off about our deal. They looked too obvious, untrustworthy… To make a long story short, before I claimed to have accepted their offer…I opened fire on them, myself, showing my henchmen how the job was done. …But I was sloppy, and had left much crucial evidence scattered around. Rinoa went back to clean it up without telling me, and was caught at the scene…my gun in _her_ hands."

He faced me again and smiled, "Now, Rinoa is dead to society…her name hasn't been used for some months now. People have already forgotten about her; fortunately, she can reinvent herself… because Rinoa Caraway was sentenced to death and has _already_ died in the forest. This is my gift to her…"

"Sir, I've given Mr. Kramer the sedatives and penicillin, they're leaving at this minute!" One of Caraway's workers yelled as had run inside with haste. He wore a blue hat, and an orange vest over his white t-shirt with dark blue jeans and white sneakers, which looked like some uniform for the fisherman's cargo boat, the perfect disguise…

"Thank you Watts, but where's Zone?"

"Still keeping a lookout, sir."

"...And Quistis?"

"Seeing Rinoa off."

Caraway sighed and looked to me, "I don't want any dirty scoundrel from those forests traveling with my daughter. Even if you _are_ innocent, I can't trust you enough with her life. My girl's been in too much trouble, and I wanted her to go with someone she can trust…"

But Rinoa trusts _me_! She _trusts_ _me!_ She told me that much when we jumped from the vessel! "Didn't you hear her just a few moments ago! She said she owed me her life!"

"Consider her debt paid to you. Had it not been for Rinoa, you wouldn't have been saved from that seawater, am I correct?"

I squeezed my hand into a fist and groaned, but before I could do anything, we were interrupted by Zone, running inside quickly. "It's Esthar! They've spotted-ugh!"

"Zone!" Watts and Caraway shouted together, then smoke was released into the house. I covered my nose with the edge of my jacket and ran into the back hallway, aware that someone had followed behind me. A few seconds later, Watts' scream was heard from the living room of the house. When I heard his scream I stopped, but someone, most likely Caraway, pulled the hood of my jacket and dragged me up a spiral staircase at the end of the hallway.

Before I could see much of where we were, I was shoved in a closet and the door closed quickly. I heard Caraway fumbling around the room and opening a chest. I didn't know what he was doing in that room. I wanted to scream, but told myself to stay calm.

Suddenly the door was kicked opened and a man shouted; "There he is, right there! Richard Caraway, you are under arrest for-"

"It's _not_ that _easy_!" Caraway shouted to the men, and suddenly gunfire broke out. I covered my ears and closed my eyes in the closet. Underneath the gunfire, I heard a few bodies drop and more people rushing upstairs. Still, the crazy bastard continued to shoot.

"Back up! We need-" Another shot fired and all went quiet. My heart raced as I heard his footsteps approaching the closet door. Sure he pushed me in just a few seconds ago, but…he despised me too. He could easily kill me now… I didn't want to open my eyes, I didn't want to move, I didn't want to be there at the second he twisted the doorknob and opened the door. I heard the handle of the gun, a machine gun probably, being released and it fell to the floor.

Caraway muttered huskily, "Karma…and ten times worse too…." He breathed heavily, and I opened my eyes. Caraway reached into his pocket and took out a silver ring. "…Give that to Rinoa. I _know_ you won't let that be the last time you see her…" He smirked as I opened my hand to receive the ring. He dropped it quickly and sighed, "It's her mother's ring…I drove her away…took everything the woman had to offer… It's my fault she left. Tell her, she can have it all back now…" He sighed and leaned against the door. "Squall…get out of here while you're still dead."

Still dead? What does he mean?

"I'll buy you some time, now go…there's a window over there and a fire escape. Hurry up, go!"

"Upstairs!" Men called from downstairs, entering the house again.

I nodded to him and stood to my feet, walking around him as he sat at the closet's door. Before I made my way to the window, I realized the way I was leaving him wasn't good. Who knew what he'd do…? After taking a deep breath, I said to him sternly, "Don't kill yourself, she still needs you."

"…Right." He answered, and I forced myself to get through the window before anyone came after me. Just as I had climbed down the ladder, I heard the door open and men tumbling down as if tackling Caraway. He screamed and I heard no more.

"…Caraway." …I don't know…what just happened in there…

I jumped from the ladder and landed roughly onto the ground. Just as I was ready to run away, I saw Quistis standing, looking at me. I had caught a fright thinking that she was a soldier from the house, but I sighed in relief, "Quistis, thank god." I walked toward her, but she held up a gun, pointing it directly in my face.

"Don't take another step, Mr. Loire."

"…What?" I questioned, holding my hands in the air. "Quistis, what are you doing?"

"Something that should've been done, a _long_ time ago."

…And she pulled the trigger.

* * *

**_-The Remorseful Soul-_**

* * *

_And now, your Channel 7 news…_

_Good Morning Timber, I'm Xu Cassidy, filling in for Dan Wedge who's currently off sick today. Our top story: Yesterday, Richard Caraway was arrested in Fisherman's Horizon. The forty-eight year old businessman was charged with several counts of aggravated assault, manslaughter, arson, and theft-- _

"Wow…and the list goes on…"

_Witnesses say Caraway had resided in Fishermen's Horizon for well over three weeks and had taken care of four suspected criminals, all of whom have been taken into custody. After an intense shootout, Caraway was finally captured and also taken into custody. He was—_

"I know who he is…I remember reading one of Squall's notes about him. He doesn't seem like a criminal, but more of a talented businessman." I shut the television off and sat up from the edge of my bed.

Squall… I had a dream about Squall the other night. I dreamt that I pushed him from off a mountain… Not exactly a peaceful dream, is it?

…I think about Squall everyday…wondering what could've happened to him…if… If I hadn't screwed up, he could still be here with me, telling me everything would be all right, couldn't he?

No, that's not true at all. Squall lost interest in me a long time ago. When I confronted him, he said he hadn't meant to push me away so much, but that his work was getting the better of him. Of course, it hurt…it hurt to know that was being replaced, and he that he knew and _intentionally _replaced me.

So I…

"_Irvine…you're so amazing." I ran my hand through his hair and kissed his cheek. He smiled, but something caught my eye. ...God…Squall was standing in the doorway… _

I had crushed his heart…and whenever I'm here in my bed, _our_ bed, as he used to say all the time, I can see his face… It was the sameface from that very day, blaming me.

…Irvine told me he saw Squall getting thrown from a car. He waited two days after Squall's sentence was carried out to tell, by that time; it was too late to do anything… I told him to get out of the house, and he left…I haven't seen him since.

"Squall…I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Tears fell from my eyes almost immediately after I spoke his name aloud. The telephone's ring snapped me from my sadness.

I wiped my eyes and cleared my throat to answer with the happiest voice I could to fool my caller…. Picking up the telephone I managed to speak, "Hello."

There wasn't anyone on the other line…but then I could hear someone breathing. "…T-Thank you Selphie." And with that, the line was terminated. The phone slipped from my hands and hit the floor.

…Oh my…either I'm going crazy or that…that sounded like…no, it couldn't be true, he's…

Squall…?

* * *

**_Rebirth…_**

* * *

_Witnesses say Caraway had resided in Fishermen's Horizon for well over three weeks and had taken care of four suspected criminals, all of whom have been taken into custody. After an intense shootout, Caraway was finally captured and was also taken into custody… _

_The four suspects' names are as follows: Michael Watts, Zonel Roberts, Ward Zabac, and James Norg. _

Well, I have to admit that Caraway was right.

…I'm _already _dead.

* * *

**Author's Milestone (: Engraves "Stardust Ray Rules" on the rock.:)jk lol**

* * *

_**It sucked! -hides face-**_

**Oh no, not _another_ cliffy! I didn't mean to…honestly! I hope things in this chapter weren't…everywhere, you know? Ahh…**

**But just so you'll know, _Fin _isn't there now…sadly, it's next… -cries- …and now…the Thanks list. **

**Oh yeah, Ittan-Momen, now Selphie's yours! I needed to use her again, but now she's free…so… (Unleashes Selphie from her cage-btw-Selphie fans, I'm just kidding, I liked Selphie in the game, but in this story…-sighs-)**

**So… ( Oh yeah…those names, lol…Zonel, lol…No wonder they called him Zone! Lol Sorry about that! ) **

**Thanks to:**

**_Orestes666:_ Oh yeah, I really care about Squall…I couldn't do that to him! Ahh, you made the fastest review I have ever seen! Lol. Thanks for your words, I was relieved by them. I really felt like that was my worst chapter ever! I'm so glad it was great!**

**_Tsuki:_ You know, I didn't think I was an action writer…In my own profile, I said "I'm not much of an action writer, I usually enjoy writing the drama that leads to the action." LoL, but I'm getting better with action and angst…a new awakening for me. So, I don't know, I might write another story after this…might be an angst though. Who knows? Like I told someone before, I tend to struggle with mushy things, lol. (notice how little romance there actually is in this story! lol :p) Thanks for the review! And please, enjoy the read!**

**_Blue_: That's right! Squall ate them all! And he stole Rinoa's cookie too! She's been crying ever since! (And you wonder why her eyes were so dark in this chapter! lol) Anyway, I'm sharing my cookies with everyone else, so no worries there. (And don't worry, Rinoa ate her plate of food too, Squall just wasn't around to see it…I think he would've stolen it anyway. lol) Alright, Alright, I'm shutting up, I'll get a rambling award. Seriously, have you ever seen an author to write more in the frickin Author's Commentary than the entire story! lol I need an award for _this_! lol Thanks again! (but I write all this because I choose to, so Nah!) haha!**

**_Lady-Rinoa_: I wish you happiness and the confidence to overcome your troubling times! Take a break from everything, and I mean everything! Give a day to yourself; you'll be glad you did. Oh, and your story is so cute, I'm amazed! Aww… Well, Quistis is…-shuts up- Thanks again!**

**_BlackWind92_: Hey, hey, _everyone _asked about that cliffhanger! I didn't even realize it was _bad_! (I'm horrible, I know! lol) Truth be told, I wasn't sure if anyone cared enough about Squall and Rinoa, lol, I'm just kidding! But seriously, does this story _need another cliff_? Lol **

**_doom18769:_ Thank you! I know it's _really_ different! I wanted something fresh! So…I went to the extremes! One simple project turned into one of the best and craziest stories I've ever written in my entire life. Thanks for your review:D **

**_Yuleen75:_ Yeah, Caraway's a slick weasel, I tell you! lol But things have caught up with him; I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I forgot to thank you for the cookies last time. Thanks! lol. Well, Epilogue's next, not to worry, everything else is explained there. And I'm relieved that you're relieved that Rinoa and Squall were relieved and…lol, we're all relieved, now aren't we! Lol Thanks again! More sweets!**

**_Kitsu Kurasei_- Thank you for the wonderful review! I know, it's a bit over dramatized sometimes and there's a lot of angst, but overall action took the cup. (I'm afraid there's more angst than romance, too, lol) I really need a beta reader, but the stories almost done, so it's not really worth it anymore. (Sadly, -sighs-) I hope this chapter was worth the time, because it too is tremendously long. I wanted to chop it up, but I said only a couple left. Standing by my word, I've brought this chapter to you all…so now…I've got to work on the last. **

**-cries- thanks everybody, the journey is almost over. **

**Thanks to _skydreme_: my steam has yet to expend! **

**Special thanks to those who've added this to their favs lists and such, it really means a lot. (not sure if you want your names on here, so I won't add them:p) lol **

**Anyway, I'm shutting myself up now and getting ready to call it a day. I promise the last chapter will be great and will bring about a since of closure. (or at least, I'd hope it to…) Well…thanks to _everyone!_ **

**Good, bad, or ugly? Let me know! (lol) **

**Thanks again!  
**

_**StardustRay **_


	19. Escape

_You wouldn't believe it, but Squall came to my neighborhood recently. (Actually, he's still here!) Yeah, Squall and a few other wind friends of his are taking a breather at my house. I'm currently under a hurricane watch, tornado watch, and tropical storm warning right now! lol, I kid you not! However, sorry for the long delay guys, but things have been happening here! My Internet was knocked out due to the bad weather! T.T …And no, this chapter isn't that long, I'm a total motor mouth! haha_

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_**Between Heaven and Hell**_

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_Chapter 18: Escape _

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"_Quistis_, thank god." I walked toward her, but she held up a gun, pointing it directly in my face. 

"Don't take another step, Mr. Loire."

"…What?" I questioned, holding my hands in the air. "Quistis, what are you doing?"

"Something that should've been done, a _long_ time ago."

…And she pulled the trigger.

_-click-_

…My life ended…or had it?

I opened my eyes, which had closed instinctively as her finger pulled the trigger back. I mean Quistis _had _pulled the trigger, didn't she? …But the gun hadn't fired due to an empty cartridge, I guess.

She smiled, "I should've gotten you out _before_ the trial ever started. …I'm with the Esthar Unit you see here, and I've worked for them before I became one of Caraway's henchmen. The rest of his team, including the two men who murdered Odine, has been captured." Quistis said as she reloaded her gun, putting it back onto the strap attached to her hip.

I froze, not because I escaped yet _another_ death, but…had I heard her correctly? I stared at her quizzically as she smirked, "Quickly, follow me."

And I mindlessly followed her back to the docks where we got on the same fishing boat. We managed to escape the troops scattered about, who had participated in the capture of Caraway, unseen; all the while, I had an eerie feeling we were under some sort of disguise; after all, anything is possible now that Quistis admits to working under Estharian oath. However, my thoughts are probably inaccurate, and maybe we actually had run through without receiving any hassle from the on guard authorities.

Knowing there was no way my pondering could be answered, I continued to follow behind the hasty woman as she ran into the control room of the boat. Quistis had pulled out of the harbor and steered the large fishing cargo boat from the docks. With her eyes and body focused on driving, she spoke to me without giving any eye contact, "Caraway admitted to the crimes when you two had that little discussion back in the house, and I've got it all on tape…"

She removed her left hand and pushed a few loose strands of hair from her face as she continued, "I became interested in this case when Odine's body was first discovered in Timber. …I found it quite odd that _you_ would take the life of a man who was just about to expand your father's magazine company, and would hopefully bring about a good future to you and your family." She turned to face me with that same smile, "Anyway, I thought I was too late in the investigation when you were shipped off to Esthar's death chamber, but it turns out, I was right on time."

Quistis took a deep breath and placed her hand back onto the steering wheel, she sure is fidgeting around a lot; maybe she's still shaken by this incident? "It seems Caraway's complaints against the continent had silenced just as soon as Odine's body was discovered. It was obvious that he had a bone to pick with Odine, but the cover up was that Caraway mostly despised the _T-Rexaurs_ and _their _methods of inflicting death. Because his daughter had already been convicted, he wanted the T-Rexaurs to suffer. He also sought a way to lighten the cruel capital punishment for _all_ convicts…I'm sure you know that already…" She smirked, "Well, to get myself deeper into the investigation, I contacted Mr. Kramer, knowing that he was an old friend of Caraway. What started out as a simple interrogation, turned into so much more. I found out about Caraway's dark past…simply because Kramer couldn't hold his water so well, and from then on, Kramer had asked that if he were to help me bring things to the surface, he'd be left alone in the future; and I agreed."

"So Kramer's _in_ on this?"

"Yes. It's because of Mr. Kramer that I even began work for Caraway so soon. Cid introduced me as one of his best and most trustworthy employees at his establishment; of course, Caraway knew something was fishy about our approach. …Shortly after, Caraway arranged for us to meet with Kramer once Rinoa was safely delivered back to him, whenever she would escape. He wanted to be sure, since Kramer was kind enough to send me to aid him, that Cid would take and keep Rinoa out of harm's way for a while."

Now I remember just why Kramer fiddled the way he had when Caraway mentioned a _rat_, he seemed to be nervous and kept heaving sighs all the time. Maybe he thought Caraway had figured out their sneaky little game with him. …I guess Cid had wanted to take Caraway down from the start…but what about Rinoa? She also worked for him too, hadn't she? Shouldn't she have been affected as well? "…Why wasn't Rinoa arrested anyway?" It's a horrible question, and I'm sure Rinoa would slap me if she were here, but…it's reasonable.

"As part of Kramer's bargain: He's provided me with as much evidence about Caraway as he possibly can, and in doing so, it was enough to cover Rinoa's charges as well. However, every record on Rinoa and even _you_ has been destroyed. You'll not find any piece of record relating to you or her at this present day. Rinoa's criminal records have been dropped, and so have yours. I just needed to get her out of there alive for Kramer's sake. Caraway fits into every charge that was given to Rinoa, and will now take the blame for _everything_."

I sat silent for a while thinking about all that Quistis had just told me. I leaned against the back wall of the Captain's room and covered my face with my hands, sighing at the unbelievable truth. We were finally off the hook; tables were turning for the best…but somehow, emptiness loomed over my soul. Quistis allowed me some time to myself and hadn't bothered me with anything further information.

"We're here." She said, and I looked up and through the windows to see the deck outside.

Along with the darkness, the air was misty and heavy…a _disturbing _atmosphere in our case. It reflects what I feel within, fully aware that I'm boundless and free, yet so clueless of where to go…because my path is so foggy. We were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by water…surrounded by despair.

"…Where are we?" I asked, scratching the back of my head and walking toward Quistis as she headed for the door that led us to the deck.

"You'll see." …See what? I don't see _anything_. Maybe I _shouldn't_ get my hopes up too soon…the worse things always happen at the best of times, right? So, what if I can't trust her either? What if this is still some type of game- "Mr. Kramer?"

"Quistis!" A voice sprang from nowhere, and I ran out to the deck to see, but still hadn't noticed anything. Suddenly, a white yacht appeared from thin air just a few yards ahead, and I saw Cid standing on its deck, eye level with us. "Quistis, I think he knows what's happened!" The old man panicked.

"Even so, you won't ever have to worry about him returning for unfinished business. Caraway was captured and is currently being taken away by those soldiers we encountered."

"…Yeah, but he _has_ outside contacts. He's _never_ finished…"

"Mr. Kramer, please don't try to make this situation to be worse than what it actually is. I _can_ guarantee your safety, and I will personally take part in your defense."

"Ms. Trepe, thank you for understanding...but…" The old man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Within the darkness, I could make out his plump figure. He had turned his face to the side and looked out into sea, staring at some unknown image lingering in the graying waters. He seemed to have wandered from his words… Cid's probably going through hell right about now: betraying his best friend and having the nerve to take the man's daughter in his keep. Yeah, anyone can be a bit shaken after screwing around with a _tyrant's_ daughter.

…I guess that explains why Quistis knew so little about the entire situation. She had become familiar with her role in all this madness only _recently_. Caraway hadn't told her what was next because he didn't trust her just yet; she was still the newest member. Come to think of it, he had sound a bit _unsure_ when it came to her…

-------

After a few minutes passed, we had joined Kramer's yacht and took a seat on the deck. I resumed my taciturn manner even as Quistis gave me a reassuring smile that everything would be all right. Cid chuckled, "…I guess I should apologize about what happened in FH." He had turned to me, "You don't have to worry about Rinoa, she's asleep below deck." …Asleep? Isn't she always…?

I sighed in relief and nodded my head while muttering, "Thank you for looking after her." I had thanked him for his help from not only today, but before I even met Rinoa as well. It was because of him that Rinoa hadn't completely lost her mind or the will to live for her own person, when growing up with her father I bet. But when I think about the fact that she had tried to help her father by cleaning the crime scene…I realize no matter how heartless Caraway might appear, Rinoa still has love for him.

"It's quite alright, Mr. Loire. Even though she's in no condition to walk around now, Rinoa will be fine. I know you're concerned about her health."

"Squall?" Cid looked back at a woman with long black hair who had just called to me, and smiled. For a slight moment, she mirrored Rinoa. The woman walked over, her long black skirt sweeping the floors and her hands zipping up the dark jacket that wrapped tightly about her being. She possessed a friendly smile of her own, and I felt at ease when she neared me. "Edea, dear, meet Quistis Trepe and Squall Loire." Cid said, motioning his hand from Quistis to me.

Edea held out her hand and shook Quistis' and then mine. I was confused as to how she had known my name, but then again, since I'm some type of celebrity, I guess _more_ people know me by my first name now. She held my hand in hers for a bit longer, squeezing it within her grasp. I looked down at our hands and then to her eyes, and was about to pull away from hers until she whispered, "She asked about you several times before going to sleep. She really admires you." And with that, Edea let go of my hand. By '_she'_, Edea obviously meant Rinoa… _Of course _I'm _worried_ about her, but…there are other matters at this moment too. "Ms. Trepe, _Quistis_…we'd like for you to take us back to Balamb. We wouldn't want anyone to become suspicious of our sudden absence at such an early hour."

"Oh, Mrs. Kramer, your husband has—"

"Quistis, I'm afraid Edea is correct. We've businesses to attend to, and I'm _sure _uncertainties will arise when everyone learns that Caraway was captured just the same morning we had gone missing." He smiled and looped an arm around Edea's waist. "Please get us out of here."

"…Yes, sir." Quistis muttered, saluting them in full Esthar honor, and then turning to me she said, "There's a cell phone in the deck down below which I've purposely left behind for you. I'll call you whenever the disturbances have settled and it is safe to return."

Safe to return here? "I don't understand…are you _leaving_ me here?"

"I have no other choice. …All you have to do now is get far away from the Galbadian and Estharian district, and hide amongst the alienated counties to avoid all publicity. Though you are _not_ on the line for any charges, it's a good idea to wait until the media settles; otherwise, you'll never be allowed peace. …Mr. Loire, if you want, you _could _go back with us; however, there is a chance you can be arrested, and will wait in jail until further evidence liberates you."

"…Do I take this yacht?"

"Afraid so." Cid had cut in with a chuckle, but his face became stern as he continued, "It's the least I can do for Rinoa since she can't be seen with us. As much as Caraway might have hoped I could shelter her, it's futile to think that plan is possible. Should Rinoa come with me, I'll risk her to be bombarded by the press _and_ have my past dug up. So it is necessary that we get her away from this area, immediately."

"…Please, Mr. Loire. Look after Rinoa, she's like a daughter to us." Edea added, squeezing her husband's shoulder.

I looked down at the wooden deck's floor of the yacht and took a deep breath. After allowing the thought to set in that _I _would be responsible for Rinoa from this point on, I smiled, "You don't have to worry, I will."

Quistis nodded to me and began to climb aboard the fishermen's cargo boat. Edea followed behind her with the help of Cid lifting her from the floor and over the railings. As Edea safely made it across, he turned to me and whispered, "We've got enough fuel to go around the world _twice_ if we wanted, but there's one place we've always wanted to take Rinoa, and I'm sure she'll love it there. …There's a map downstairs in a box I keep underneath the bed with the location's coordinates… It was the special place Edea and I'd go to whenever our lives were at the best or sometimes even at the worst. I'm sure _you'll_ love it there too; that's why you can have _it,_ the summerhouse, _along _with this yacht."

What the hell? He's giving me these luxuries…? This is unbelievable... "…Are you handing out these charities just to keep yourself safe from Caraway?"

"…That's part of the reason why, but I only want what's best for little Rin."

"Mr. Kramer, sir, we need to hurry before sunrise!" Quistis called from the cargo boat.

"Ah, I understand Quistis, I'm climbing aboard now." Cid said to her, looking back for a mere second. He slapped his hand on my shoulder and turned around to climb over the railings and into the cargo ship. As he reached the boat, he faced me once more. "I trust you'll look after her with your life, son. Rinoa assured me that much… Just be sure to get out of here before you're discovered." He smiled, "And Mr. Loire, I _know_ your family misses you dearly…"

I'm sure they do, but _I_ miss them terribly. If it were possible to take back my past faults, I would do so in a heartbeat.

Quistis looked at me and smirked, "We'll be in touch."

I simply nodded to her and watched as she disappeared into the Captain's room to take control of the boat once again. She steered the large craft into the fogginess of the seas until I could see her and the fishermen's cargo boat no more. It had sailed toward land once again, undoubtedly bound for Balamb to bring home the Kramers.

I sighed and lost myself in the abyss of fog and sea, having an unnerving feeling that I would never be welcomed anywhere, especially not Timber after this day. I'm dead now…and I have to make it official by disappearing and never seeing the world again. But…

Rinoa's below deck, isn't she? I guess it would be okay if we were together. It seems as though our promise is still on. I hadn't killed her father, as much as I wanted to…instead, I wished him life. I put aside my selfish desires to _wish him life_, and hoped that he could see his daughter alive again someday. Which reminds me, I have something of hers in my possession… that ring.

I headed below deck and into the cabin looking for Rinoa's room, which happened to be the _only_ bedroom room on the yacht, despite its vastness. I opened the door to the incredibly spacious room, taking note of the maroon carpeted floors and curtained window above the bed. Only for a second I forgot I was on a boat. In the darkness, I was able to identify Rinoa's figure on the bed. She had obviously been tired, and just as last time…I could hear her breathing above the almost silent creaking from the yacht rocking side to side.

I watched Rinoa inhaling rhythmically with the sea's natural unsteadiness, and exhaling as if it were her last breath. I propped my arm against the door seal and rubbed a hand into my hair; completely unaware that I had held my own breath… When staring at her on the bed, I mused myself with ridiculous questions.

…Who is this woman I've accompanied for only a short period of time? I realize now, I know nothing about the _real_ Rinoa Caraway. I've met the strong willed Rinoa, the one who wanted nothing more but to live for another day, the survivor. _And_ I've met the lonely Rinoa, the other side of her that needed comfort and shelter…but I hadn't… I hadn't met the Rinoa who wished her house were a mansion…

I'm worried I'll probably never get to meet her simply because _that_ Rinoawill spend the rest of her life, worrying about her father's fate. She'll probably question if she had disappointed him with her clean and inexperienced hands…

But why should I worry about _that?_ Rinoa hasn't even awakened yet, she isn't aware I'm here with her, nor does she know about her father's bust. At this point, she doesn't even care what might be happening in the outside world simply because she only needs rest…

…I had watched her for some time, unable to take my eyes away from her face, for some indefinite reason. A glimmer or glow, something about her attracted me… A shade of peach illuminated her exquisite features, and I realized the sun was preparing to rise.

How long had I been here studying her?

I turned from the doorway, walking into a room across from the bedroom, and opened the slim wooden white door. It was a restroom; I noticed such because the toilet sat against the back wall, and a mirror and sink were set on the wall beside it. There, on the pearly white sink bowl, I saw a phone charger had been plugged into an electric socket below the sink, and the cell phone occupied its base. "This must be the phone Quistis told me about."

I removed the phone from its charger and held it tightly in my hand as I let the restroom be. I had begun to pace the walkway between the restroom and the bedroom pondering when Quistis would call me as she said she would. I wished she had told me just _when_ she would call… But who was I kidding? They probably hadn't even docked yet.

…Cid… Cid said he'd left something inside a box for Rinoa and me, didn't he?

After forcing myself farther into the bedroom, I crouched beside the bed and looked underneath. Sure enough, there was a black shoebox underneath the bed, closed with a taped edge. I undid the tape and peeled back its cover, bracing myself for the sight of the map Cid told me about in its hold.

When my eyes lay upon the circled area on the map, I nearly dropped it in disbelief, "But that's so far away…"

…It suddenly dawned on me that I would probably never see my family again. Who knew how long it would take Quistis to contact me? I knew for a fact she wouldn't reach me within the next few days, but what if…what if it were _never _safe to return home? What if we were stuck out in the middle of nowhere and had no right to come back?

I leaned my head back against the bed and into the satin sheets that lay across it, sighing despite my current progress. Even though I didn't know what to expect _this _time, somehow I knew that _no_ T-Rexaur would stalk Rinoa or me…

Ever since arriving in the forests, we had partnered up and helped one another through the most troubling times. We've become so close since…

I see that there is no way I can crawl back to Selphie _now_, not that I _wanted_ to. Even hearing her name doesn't send me down memory lane; that road is closed for good. All those times we shared together have faded with the wind. Not completely gone, but for the most part, I'm _over_ it, I'm over her. It was because of Selphie that I even left to the bar that day, and she was the reason I contemplated murder. It was thoughts of her, which caused me to lose control of myself, and I was thinking of her when I first met Rinoa.

In a way, I had compared Selphie to Rinoa…unintentionally, but every day. No, I hadn't come out straight and said she reminded me of Selphie, but I silently took note that Rinoa resembled Selphie in some fascinating way. …Might have been that sharp enthusiasm about life, about _living_…about the world and its problems, but facing everyday problems first. Selphie was so confident, just as Rinoa, but Selphie was _weak_. She needed constant attention…or perhaps she wanted more freedom?

Whatever her reasons were…she still had no right to go and sleep with someone else. She took the _idiot_ way out of our relationship…and I was angry that she betrayed me… I wanted nothing to do with her, yet I wanted _all_ of her. I was selfish and had sheltered her… I'm so confused about why she even stayed with me for so long…

All this time I've been thinking about my own needs, and myself when I've never looked at the world through Selphie's eyes. I put her through so much, and she hadn't complained at all. Once I had wished death upon her, but I see now…there's only _one_ thing I need to do. Selphie freed me from _my_ misery by doing the only thing that would provoke me to make a move faster…

She gave herself away so that I could _find_ myself…a life for a life, so it seems.

I looked down at the cell phone in my hand and smirked. After punching in some numbers, I eventually pressed the small device against my ear until I heard the phone ring, each ring as mellow and as sluggish as possible. It was forever before someone picked up the phone on the other line and spoke through, "…Hello." Her voice was as simple and childlike as always, but somehow it _intimidated _me. I felt myself at a lost of words when she answered, but I also felt the need to get my purpose across. I had to tell Selphie the one thing that nagged at the back of my mind throughout my stay in the forests. The one thing I denied owing her every single horrifying day, and finally…I forced it from my own mouth, "…T-thank you Selphie." Without waiting for her response, I terminated the lines. I didn't know what to expect from her…and as soon as I ended our one sided conversation, I regretted ever calling her.

What would she do if she recognized my voice? Would she tell someone about me? Would she spill that the late convict had suddenly risen and _harassed_ her? Or had my calling simply haunted her to the peak?

I sighed and tossed the phone onto the floor, trying to forget about the phone call; wanting to push it from my mind as I had Odine's murder.

Rinoa stirred in her sleep, coughing lightly while turning over to face the wall behind the bed. I rose from the floor and sat beside her, sinking into the mattresses' softness. It's no wonder she's asleep so soundly. I think anyone could easily fall into a deep slumber after taking one _sit_ on this soft bed.

As I nestled beside her, I realized the phone call I made was worth it. I had thanked Selphie for giving me a second chance at life; …something I silently wished I could do a thousand times before. In all honesty, I gave my life for a new one, one that wasn't completely perfect and hadn't promised a meal the next day, a life that I could cherish even when times grew blue, one that I had to go through hell to reach.

I rested behind Rinoa's warm body and eased my face between the core of her neck and shoulder. The intense heat emitting from her body had worried me, but I pushed my fears aside as I reassured myself that her rest would make up for it in the end. With one soft sigh and a tug on her shoulder, I had closed my eyes and muttered, "We've come too far to die now, Rinoa… We have to make it…we have to see what Cid has in store for us."

I left a soft kiss on her cheek and pulled her closely against me. Even if she were conscious, I would want her to know that I was near, that I was still here, and that I would _always_ protect her from any endangerment.

After all, we _had _made that promise before… And as abnormal as it may sound, our next destination was, according to Cid's map and Rinoa's shooting star, _south…_

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**Author's Shelter: (hiding from Squall!)**

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**Well, I'm not kidding about the storms I'm currently facing, and just so you'll know, there were more than a few squalls around my house too! lol **

**Okay…so things didn't go how I planned… I realized I couldn't connect this chapter with the epilogue because it's somehow independent. I feel confident that it can stand alone, so I'll let you decide if its good or not. So tell me, Good, the Bad, or the Ugly:p (You know what, don't tell me if its ugly, be constructive! lol )**

**Speaking of telling me if its good or not, I've received two very interesting reviews. (One of which I barely understood a word of, and the other…well I'm not even sure why that person bothered to say anything at all, lol) Keeping to my word, I'll never leave a soul out of the thank you list, but when I'm brainstorming or in the midst of writing a chapter, reviews like those sidetrack me from my story. After recovering from mild blows below the line (And blows from the wind!), I have summed up all my defense power and answered these people with all the honesty and dignity in my soul. I'm fully aware that they're unlikely to return to read what I have to say, but who cares? I'm going to shoot! (Though I highly doubt _some_ have the patience to actually read it all…hint, hint! …hehe) And now, the thank yous… **

**_Ittan Momen-_ I really feel sorry for Selphie, lol, the poor thing! I apologize a million times about the long delay! I had this chapter ready to fire, but then…weather happened! And in case you're still wondering, I'm a she. And by Brad Pitt, I will have the last chapter up, with the help of everyone's input. (That is…if you guys haven't lost interest with my long disappearance, lol) And ow, that lick hurt. Okay, okay, I'll stop saying that it sucks and start being more confident, happy! lol (Also, I really hope things are okay...the news has been crazy lately...take care.) **

**_Yuleen75-_ -accepts cookies and stashes on the side- Thanks! These cookies kept me warm when it was all cold and windy outside! Lol**

**_Yae-_ lol, Bad Quistis! Lol I hope this chapter holds you until the next follows. (I'm really behind schedule here, T.T) Woo! Faygo! Yay!**

**_Arkv01-_ Really? Wow, sometimes I wish I weren't the writer here. You guys get the best view of the story! lol, (My thanks list seems a bit lamer today, probably because I've been gone for so long. Everything I wanted to say to you guys before has been forgotten, sadly… T.T)**

**_Lady-Rinoa-_ All things must come to an end some time, and this…I'm afraid is one of those things. –sighs- It's been fun, that's why I have to go out with a satisfying ending! Oh yeah, I'm keeping clear of dating right now. The last guy was a total jerk, so I need some fresh air:p You know? lol**

**_Blue-_ You're right, Squall wasn't spanked enough. I tried to tell him otherwise and look at what happened, he took out my power for one whole frickin week! Lol. And yeah, if I ever post up my other stories, I'd be glad to have you as my beta reader. Till then, Rinoa sends her love to you, but beware, Squall is standing behind her glaring at you! lol**

**_Orestes666-_ I'm glad you liked that last chapter. Yeah, I know…I had to be sure the plot was still there! haha. Oh yeah, this one should clear up most of the remaining questions. I'm confident to that much. But now…I have to worry about _this _and the _next_ chapter! T.T**

**_BlackWind92-_ I'm really sorry about the cliffies, lol. And this one might have been dreadful because I got knocked out. But now that I'm back, this story should be finished before next week ends! Promise!**

**_Tsuki Leonhart-_ Nah, that chapter was just right, no worries. I hope you've updated since I've been away, man…it sure feels great to be back. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the end of my story, (Finally!) whenever I can post it up next time.**

**And now…for the pointless rambling and complaining I'm about to as a result to coming back from fighting a hurricane, and reading those pointless rambling and complaining reviews…lol …I'm a little upset, I suppose, but my goofy side humors me, and so did they, lol. **

**--Hehe, I asked for it, and I got it. …Flames…or somewhat… (In this case, people who chose to wait _till_ I post the _last_ chapter to give me ideas for plot twists and such, or just to tell me that the story is _boring…_ lol! It's not cool, but it's a sign of the real world…things aren't always so good, eh?) Now, Just as they've reviewed me honestly and without remorse, here I respond, _ditto:_ (Honestly, it's stuff I needed to get off my chest _anyway_…sorry if it's a tad bit harsh…) lol, tell you the truth, I like flamers…they're funny. And besides, I've brought it upon myself by saying that my fic was disappointing me sometimes anyway, lol. --**

**_anGool Bebii_- hahaha! No offense…But when you say that it's _too_ descriptive, that means my job is done; Thanks for the _compliment!_ (People told me that I needed to include _even more _descriptions, so I'm sorry you had to suffer.) A story like this _needs more_ description anyway; otherwise the readers won't know what's happening. (Think about it…If I minus the description, it'll be a script _only_; Plain, dull, and boring with no life or flow whatsoever! lol) Anyway, thanks for being honest, but I'd appreciate if you'd at least skipped forward and not judge the _entire_ story by the _first couple _of chapters. lol. Thanks for your honesty, the review, the time, and the effort to actually speak up:D **

**_MysticSuperSaiyanGohan_- ****thanks for reading anyway, and I'm glad you enjoyed chapters 1-10:)**

**All right…No more! …It's horrible, receiving stuff like that in the midst of writing the final chapter…it's a real mood killer! Especially when going through a storm! I could've finished days before…had it not been for these -shuts herself up- haha, I'm kidding… Yeah, I deleted it away for good.**

**So yeah, I'm done with my smack talk, now talk to me. The good, the bad, or the ugly, tell me how it was, and I'll finish up the true conclusion!**

**_StardustRay_ (woo, I'm back, Finally!)**


	20. Epilogue

**A series of unfortunate events (why does that sound familiar?) obviously occurred here…seeing that I am seriously late with this update. Some of you probably thought I died… The actual date of completion was June 13th, so I beat my little goal. This story made the _summer_ action cut, so I've survived…now let's just see how many flames I'll get for this conclusion…I'm terribly sorry for the _long_ wait guys, but things really have been happening to me…I ask for your support. So, umm…enjoy or…whatever, lol. And let me know what you thought of it all, eh? The Disclaimer is up...the end is here...**

* * *

**Between Heaven and Hell**

* * *

**_Epilogue_**

* * *

Through the stormy forest I ran with Rinoa's hand in mine. We had been running for hours and getting _nowhere_. I could hear her gasping for air behind me beneath the heavy thundering and lightning flashes as we continued our long run, but there was no way I could slow down to check on her. I glanced back in the darkness and saw hundreds of T-Rexaurs chasing us with a immense appetites and hateful grizzly eyes, having cursed us since our arrival… When I faced forward, I saw there were even more T-Rexaurs charging in to attack us with an even greater force. With their razor sharp teeth glistening through the night, I swore I heard a hundred T-Rex bellies squirming in famine just by the sight of us, their meal. Seeing that there was no place for Rinoa and me to go, I bravely stopped my advance and pulled Rinoa closely to me as the T-Rexaurs continued their hungry rage. I wanted to say something to her, but the words just wouldn't come to me, and as I struggled to speak, Rinoa smiled and whispered softly, "…Answer it—"

The ringing cellular phone beside my bed withdrew me from my dream of despair and unreality. I muttered a few swears underneath my breath as I tried to shield my eyes from the blinding sunlight while reaching over for the tiny phone, mentally aware that it sat on the dresser which was to my left; a dresser waiting to be occupied by anything I might lazily leave there. I had cleared my throat after taking the rectangular device in hand, and pushed the talk button. After _much_ dedication, I spoke into the phone groggily, "…Leonhart."

"_**Leonhart **is it?"_ Even though the voice was undertone, I still knew whose it belonged to.

"Quistis?" I jolted up from the bed with a rush of excitement, besides, who _else _would have _called_ this little phone's number?

Within my sleepy state, I had forgotten the phone had _never_ rung until _now_ out of three whole weeks. …For _three_ weeks, I dreaded to hear it, and the waiting ultimately drove me insane…

"_Listen to me, I don't have much time, but I'll update you with everything I can, is that all right?"_

"It's fine."

"_Good."_ It was silent for a moment; maybe she had to gather her thoughts before speaking? Quistis returned, _"First thing's first, a demolition is being scheduled for Esthar's Capital Punishment program; all the forest and T-Rexaurs will be annihilated with the sending of missiles from the Esthar Missile Bases. Because of this move, Caraway was sentenced to life in the D-District Prison instead of receiving death like so many before him had." _

Just because the forests will be no more doesn't mean he couldn't be sent there anyway. I smirked when the thought came to my mind…as Seifer would say, 'That lucky bastard…'

"_Caraway hadn't directly caused the crimes, but he was responsible for devising most of those schemes, and as the ring leader, has the harshest sentence of all. His henchmen were charged with murder and theft, and their sentences ranged from twenty to fifty years in prison with slim chances of parole. Caraway never commented to the press or took back any of his wrongdoing; instead, the man marched into the armored vehicle with his head held high. …I guess she doesn't have to worry about him anymore." _

"…Yeah, I guess not." I said, glancing behind me at the sleeping figure nestled inside lumps of her comforter.

"_Oh…and the other escapee, that eighteen year old, Dincht…he was taken to the hospital moments after the vessel exploded. His condition is fair, and he is undergoing physical therapy treatment for his wounded legs. Currently, his case is being reopened in hopes of gaining a lighter sentencing. From _my_ standpoint, I'll say his chances definitely look great, but…it's a murder case. So its expectant of him to receive more than a few years in prison still."_

Anything's better than the death penalty, right? Well, at least Zell is alive so…Seifer managed to get him out of there. "…And Seifer?" Why did I even ask? I already _knew_ the answer to that. Cid spoke about that news the day of Caraway's bust. We understood there were two people onboard and only _one _had escaped, running to the troops on shore. If _Zell_ made it through, then that means…

"…_His remains were found inside the exploded vessel. Immediately, the troops began to gather him…"_ She sighed into the phone, _"…I'm sorry."_

…I hadn't taken a liking to Seifer, but…hearing these things about him, and remembering the way he acted moments before we left him behind with Zell…_damn_, what am I trying to say? …Seifer thrived on his ways as a slick criminal. It was only natural that his career would end with him either being caught in a steal or…dying in a showdown with troops. Seifer was prepared for this outcome; he lived for it. "…There's no need to apologize, he _knew_ what would happen…"

"_Yes, well, the vessel was badly damaged in the explosion, luckily, none of your fingerprints were discovered inside. Authorities confirmed only two people had rode inside and escaped; meaning, as far as the world knows, you Squall, are deceased…only…"_ Quistis continued, but her voice brought about uncertainty, _"Questions have risen about the capability of surviving in those forests, but most questions were dismissed by Esthar, fearing the relatives of convicts would rise and make threats against the capital punishment system like Caraway had. Even so, skepticism hasn't died down…and I'm afraid people are piecing together the truth about what actually goes on in those forests. Of course, me and any other person that has never set foot on the continent has no a clue about this possibility; however, I'm afraid no one can stop the rising curiosity." _

"What do you mean?"

"…_Sooner or later, there will be someone to ask the inevitable question Squall. Someone will want to know how a convict like Seifer, who had been sentenced to death almost a month ago, could even survive for so long, and how he partnered with Zell to escape. How two individuals, one of which was found in a weakened state, took down a completely healthy guard and deciphered the vessels' codes all while being hounded by the T-Rexaurs and shields from the system controls. Someone will ask the right question, maybe there were more survivors than just those two, wouldn't you agree Squall?" _

"…Quistis, what are you trying to say?"

She sighed into the phone; _"They'll figure it out soon. There's no way two men could challenge a Warden and the A.I. system, and get as far as Almasy and Dincht. There's an investigation going on now, and things are definitely not looking good for you. Trust me when I say that I'm working with you, but understand that I can make no promises or guarantees either. I can assure you'll see your family within this same year, that can happen, but Squall, you're sitting with a hot target. Just as the Kramer's feared, people have gotten suspicious about them. Not to mention, the fact that there are witnesses who are starting to talk about the luxurious yacht that has suddenly come up missing from their port, is suddenly sparking interests. Talk about Rinoa has come up…and how the Caraway's have done business with Seifer in the past." _

I looked over to Rinoa, as she lay beside me in bed, asleep and clueless that I was on the phone at all. I had stared at her comforter covered body and never moved my eyes away, "…What about her?"

"_They know she's still alive Squall, and right now she's hiding away. Rinoa has become the number one wanted criminal in the world…"_

"That's ridiculous. You said that _he _took all the blame, didn't you?"

"_Yes, but the man can only say so much, the evidence and records tell a different story. It is suspected that Rinoa killed Vincer Deling and set fire to his house afterwards to cover up the scene. If his family were still home, there's no doubt that she would have struck them too."_

"No!"

"_I'm sorry Squall, but its true. I was able to look into the old case file and get the latest information from the detectives who are reinvestigating the murder as we speak. I wouldn't tell you all this if I knew it weren't true." _

"She didn't-" I had almost yelled, but quieted my voice down. I rose from the bed and whispered, "First of all, I don't believe that evidence is right, and secondly, you said all of our files were dropped!" I was careful not to say anything that would place Rinoa at the crime scene. "You don't-"

"_You probably know the story well Squall, better than I do, and I'm sure you know Rinoa _quite_ well, but even you should be concerned that there are things you don't know about her; things she might be keeping from you."_

…Hadn't I mused this scenario before? Fearing that Rinoa could be a completely different person, but even so…I know she's changed. "I'm well aware of what she's capable of, Quistis…so what is your point?"

"…_If you ever want to see your family again, you'll turn Rinoa in to me. It can be done quickly and quietly, and you won't have to worry about the press or nosy neighbors. Squall, she's wanted, and if you continue to stay with her, you'll become an accessory in this case."_

"…What about my family? Where are they?"

"_They're doing fine, but I'm not entitled to disclose any more of their information to you."_

"But they're _my_ family! I should have a right to know about them."

"…_Okay. I'll give you everything you need regarding your family and you'll give me Rinoa. It's better I take her in than an entire Estharian squadron anyway." _

A deal? My family or…Rinoa? No, that's not happening. I've promised to take care of her… "…I'm sorry Quistis. I can't."

"_Squall, I'll give you three hours to think about your decision. I'll call you back later, by then, you better have a real answer." _

"Whatever." I said, shutting off the cell phone. I tossed the device back onto the bed and walked into the bathroom, running a worried hand through my hair. I'm having trouble settling with what she said about Rinoa. I knew that Rinoa had set fire to some man's home a long time ago, but Rinoa said she had no idea he was still inside when she committed the crime. Then again, Seifer came around and said Rinoa _knew_ she had burned him to death in his home…

Rinoa…just _who_ are you?

* * *

Sitting still in the darkness of the summerhouse, I rethought everything that had happened to us within the past three weeks. Before Quistis called, everything was just right…before she called, we were two ordinary people.

It's been just us two in this stone house for all these weeks, most of which Rinoa had been sick. I often thought she wouldn't last another second, but the strong survivor pulled through. As for our penicillin collection…well, one wouldn't say it's a collection _now_, thanks to Rinoa. The little that we have left is available for use, and since we're so close to the sea…where it gets a little chilly at night, who knows what either of us could come down with?

Speaking of _cool_ nights…Rinoa's recently stopped having nightmares about T-Rexaurs coming back to claim her as a meal. Once, she woke up _screaming_ beside me, and needless to say, that turned out to be an _eventful_ night. Rinoa and I sat up playing cards until we _both _passed out across the bed, and sadly, I can't remember who won the last game. It seems, her nightmares have begun to rub off on me though…. Well, at least the dreams weren't as bad as when she was sick, I thank god for that… If something had gone wrong, I don't know what I would've done.

But now _this_ of all things has come up and forced me to consider labeling her with what the rest of the world thinks of her: a murderer and escapee.

In the spacious living room, I sat on an old wooden bench with its back to the wall. I sighed, knowing that Quistis would call in less than a few minutes to ask me my answer to that same ridiculous question. And I heard Rinoa walking through the house in slippers from the bedside she had found the first day we came here. I haven't seen her since I got off the phone with Quistis hours ago.

Trying to hide my distress from Rinoa, I smiled as she stood in the doorway of our bedroom. I could tell she had gone through Edea's closet for the new clothes again. She wore a long black skirt with a blue tank top over it, and as the days passed us by, she wore a couple of other colors as well. It's not like I can blame her because _I've_ stolen a t-shirt and some black slacks from Cid's drawers…_today_ and other days before. Thinking about our attires had brought a true smile to my face; we were stealing from old people all this time…

Even as I smiled, Rinoa hadn't seemed to be delighted by it. She just stood in the doorway giving me the most depressing face I haven't seen from her in awhile. "…What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up right from my seat on the bench.

"…I had to do it…I had to torch his house. If I hadn't, both my father and me would be dead by now." She leaned against the closed door and slid down its frame. "…Deling is dead because of me…and all those articles about me are right; I'm reckless and homicidal…and I deserve to be imprisoned. Don't you think?"

"Rinoa, where is this coming from?"

"I heard you talking with Quistis, Squall. I heard the _entire_ conversation you had with her, or at least, most of it."

"…So you know?"

"…Squall…if she's already sold me out to the public…then I guess there's no point in keeping me here." Rinoa sighed and looked away from me. "…I know you want to see your family…"

What? Is this the same Rinoa from the forest? The one who did anything and everything to survive, to get off of that continent alive? She's giving up already? "…Those articles are all some people can base from you. Rinoa, I don't believe any of those stories I hear about you. I've gotten to know you too well for myself, and I know you couldn't have _wanted_ to kill that man. Sure, the evidence places you at the scene and you may have lighted the torch, but I know you were being deceived by your father."

She placed her hands on her face, and I could hear her whimpering into her palms. "…I bet you turned down an opportunity to have true freedom because of me, didn't you?"

I didn't answer…I didn't want to.

"Squall!"

"…She said that you still face a couple of charges, arson and murder…and that Esthar knows you're still alive. If I were to hand you in, I could escape with my life and be allowed to live with my family once again."

Rinoa looked at the floor, tracing a pattern with her eyes that were hiding away behind her fingers, "…Squall, as much as you've talked about your family these weeks we've shared together, you'd…throw away a chance to see them again…for _me_?" She asked, bringing her eyes from the floor and directing them to me. I had swallowed my breath and planted myself into my seat, fearing god only knows what…

Seeing that I became speechless, Rinoa removed her hands from her face and stood from the floor. She walked toward me slowly and took a seat beside me on the bench. "…I know you won't agree with me, but just listen anyway. These past weeks have been wonderful. I was able to be my own person without having to hide from anyone. I was free. But…I can still see that burning house every time I close my eyes. I'm haunted by what I've done, and I won't have peace _anywhere_ I go from now on. Squall, like I told you before…I just want to be safe."

"But Rinoa, we don't have to stay _here_. We can go somewhere, _anywhere _else and be _safe_." I said, turning to her and taking her hands into mine.

"It will be just like we're back in the forests. We'll have to run every time danger comes our way."

"I don't care; I know we can make it. We survived the forests _together,_ Rinoa, we can easily escape Esthar too."

"That's not the point, _Squall._ If we run now, we'll run for the rest of our lives."

"So? We'll be together… I won't let them take you away from me, not now or ever. I know my family is waiting for me and they need me, but…I need _you_ more."

"…Squall."

"I knew from the first moment I saw you that I could never leave you. We managed to survive _T-Rexaurs_ together…so I _know_ my family wouldn't mind if I stayed with the woman who saved my life…so many times. I'll always be in their hearts, but…you're _always_ in mine, and I…I just can't turn you in to Esthar. Please, let's just get out of here…let's get away while we still have time."

Rinoa hadn't said anything, but her mouth opened as if she could speak a million words at once. I smiled, knowing it would take a moment for her to register all that I just spoke.

The first thing she did was move her arms around my neck, beaming with grace, then our lips joined together and we kissed softly…undisturbed by the world. Rinoa smiled after our kiss and rested her forehead with mine. "But right _now_ I like it here…with you."

Right now? Right _now_? What does she mean?

She stood from the bench and grabbed my hands to pull me up and join her. "Squall…I wish I could've met you before all this…you know?" She was smiling, but I could see her eyes were beginning to water. "Then maybe you could…you could've stopped me sooner. We would've taken trips together and saw the world…" She sniffled, "Wouldn't that have been fun?"

I squeezed her hands and pulled her body against mine.

Rinoa cried out and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Squall." She muffled into my chest.

I had immediately closed my eyes, hoping to close the image from my mind and heart. Hearing Rinoa's voice in such distress…I felt helpless… What could I do to put her heart at ease?

Just then, the phone began to ring in the bedroom. I glanced toward the door and to then to Rinoa. She looked at me and released her hands from my sides, knowing that I would have to tell Quistis my decision. "Rinoa…"

"Go on." She said, turning away from me and wiping her face. I had taken a deep breath and forced myself to take on the caller, who was undoubtedly Quistis.

When I reached the phone, I ripped it from the bed and answered it without saying anything. Quistis immediately took the initiative that I didn't want to be bothered. _"…Have you decided?"_

I cleared my throat, but never answered her.

"_Squall, I'm warning you. If you deny this request then I can't guarantee your safety."_

I felt myself smirk, smiling at the truth. "…I don't care what happens to me…"

"…_So you're not going to turn her in?"_

"My decision hasn't changed, Quistis."

"…_Very well."_ She said and terminated the lines. As soon as I felt the emptiness of the phone, I groaned and threw it down onto the floor. I ran both of my hands through my hair and cursed myself for deceiving Rinoa once again. I told her I would agree with Quistis but I hadn't…

Whenever I act on my emotions, I am not to be trusted by _anyone_…

"You really _are _crazy, you know that?" Rinoa said from behind me. Crazy…yeah, I've been crazy since day one, since I first met her. Sacrificing myself to a T-Rexaur just before it devours her…sticking with her since the beginning… "Why Squall?"

Why? Why am I risking my life for her _again_? Haven't I always placed myself in this position?

Or…am I really _that_ selfish?

There's something I discovered about myself since I had first met the others in the forests. I'm a fool… …Once again, _Seifer_ was right…I _am_ a fool, but then…I had promised so many times before that I would take care of this woman… So it's not really like I had choice, right?

"Squall?" _Dammit,_ she's still there?

"…Don't make me repeat myself, Rinoa. It wasn't right... " What the hell? My voice sounded all shaky, and my throat feels like it's caving in and sore…

Besides…the entire deal was useless…Quistis can't be trusted _anyway_. She would probably have turned in both of our names and made us out to be killers…or something else negative.

…Rinoa hasn't done anything worth this…

I could feel my eyes watering…

Rinoa walked around and saw my face, and she feathered my cheek with her fingertips. She hadn't said anything, but moved her hands to my eyes and smiled. From then on, I lost control of myself by closing the gap between us, and kissing her lips with ardor. When she moved her hands underneath my shirt, I knew I would give in…

I had taken Rinoa's body into my arms, and lifted her from the floor to carry her to the bed, laying her across with care and crawling on top of her. She caressed my face as I stared at hers beneath me. "Squall…" She whispered, searching my eyes with her own for some understanding. And I softened mine, as if answering her question… When Cid had taken her away from me in FH, I knew it was more than those promises that forced me to run after her before her father stopped my pursuit.

And I knew it was more than the need to live that caused me to stay with her in the forest. If I had died anytime in the forest or on the vessel with _her_ by my side, I would have died happy and content… That's why…I can't just give her up to Quistis like some prize, _no_…because I… "…I'm in love with you, Rinoa."

With a smile brighter than the moon and stars combined, Rinoa pulled me closer and kissed me again… From then on, I had lost myself in the intimate glory of her heart, body, and soul…

Her cries were silenced, my worries had subsided, and every anxiety we both might have had, had been extinguished with the immense heat that expended from within us combined…

I've never felt this way about anyone before…not even Selphie.

Throughout our room, the evening sun shone inside from the window with peach and orange gleams of soft light that transformed the stony gray walls into a tropical utopia. I smiled, relieved that I could be here with _her_ to see this, to _experience_ _this_.

Rinoa had fallen asleep with her arms around me, resting on my chest, and I had placed my arm around her, keeping her close to me, never wanting to let go. I allowed myself to sleep in her warmth as well…

When I woke up, the sun had just begun setting. I kissed Rinoa's forehead and eased out of the grip she held around me, quietly standing from bed. After managing to sneak away, I straightened my boxers and walked toward the opened window, pushing aside the draping curtains that blocked the amazing ocean view. I could see the lighthouse at the far end of the miniature peninsula, the seashore, and a few children playing in the water with their pants' legs rolled up, cuffed to avoid getting soggy edges of cloth. I smiled, taking in all the life that surrounded me in this perfect _peace_. I could only wonder how long it would all last…

When we were free…I took it all for granted, and now that this could be my last day experiencing every single detail here, I'm beginning to appreciate it more with each passing second. Knowing that you could face death at any given moment will greatly affect your heart; I guarantee it.

"…Squall, what are you looking at?" Her voice crept behind me, and her hands and fingers gently feathered across my bare back, sliding around to my chest; so much for _sneaking away_.

"Compared to _you_, nothing…" I whispered.

As she pressed her lips against my back, I felt them form into a smile, and a soft laugh followed.

Even though this little summerhouse probably doesn't quite feel like a place _anyone_ else would call home, it was more than comfortable and welcoming to us. The exotic atmosphere brought about a sense of peace in my heart, and I no longer had to fear the wraths of others. The town folk nearby all welcomed us with opened arms whenever we needed some supplies, mostly because they have no idea who we are. I had silently said goodbye to its heavenly atmosphere.

This remote continent drastically separates itself from Esthar; so much as the need for television isn't all that extreme. Every once in a while, a television would come into our path, but Rinoa and me quickly learned that these people prefer to remain independent and are not likely to meddle in the affairs of other districts and continents… So usually, a television's prime use would be to show a movie or video from a couple's vacation or wedding… In any case, that's a perfect use of a television…I was no longer a victim to its broadcasting. For once, I saw my life and myself for who I actually was as an individual, without the need to compare myself to others and contrast. I had _finally_ given up TV…

As for the children _here_, well…they usually found other ways to entertain themselves too…

Rinoa laughed as a little girl pushed her friend into the sandy shoreline of the ocean. The others that were playing around in the sand, immediately splashed _her_ with puddles of water and thus, caused a play fight between all the kids. _I_ even laughed at this. "Look at them go. Hyper cases…"

"Hey!" Rinoa gave my chest a thump with her fist and I fought back a laugh of my own. "They're only kids, Squall; they're _always_ full of energy." We had continued to watch the children running around each other causing mischief, and Rinoa clubbed her arms under mine and murmured, "I can imagine living here…"

I smiled and answered, "…So can I."

But inside…we both knew that could _never_ be possible.

"Squall, why don't you get in the shower? I'll make you something to eat."

"…Sounds good to me."

Living like we had all the time in the world, Rinoa cooked in the kitchen as I took a shower and dressed myself in clothes that became my daily _uniform._ I could smell frying food throughout the house, and by then, my stomach had begun to growl hungrily.

After putting on my socks and shoes, I walked into the kitchen with Rinoa. She looked at me and smirked, "What a late breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner this is…right?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're right."

"Oh…this will be a few more minutes. There's tea on the stove to keep you busy. Go on, drink it up."

"Tea?"

"Drink, drink, drink!"

I sighed, seeing that I had no way out… "Fine." And I had a glass of tea, just as Rinoa suggested. But only seconds after my first sip, I began to feel woozy, just like I felt back in that damned bar. "Rin…"I put the glass onto the table and turned toward her, "Rinoa…?"

She didn't answer me; in fact, Rinoa was nowhere in sight. "Rinoa!" I yelled out and stood to my feet, only to feel my body crash into the floor. Gradually, I had lost consciousness and faded away…

I don't know how long I had been out, but I awoke to glass shattering around and people talking over me, but I couldn't do anything to respond to them. I felt paralyzed… And then I heard a woman's voice…the sellout…Quistis.

"He's the only one here..."

* * *

Would you believe that I'm going insane?

I think so…

And apparently, Esthar thinks so too…

…Three months ago, I was strapped in a chair and interrogated for twenty-four hours about the whereabouts of Rinoa Caraway. After a day of rest, I was interrogated again…and again…and again. It wouldn't end until someone finally pulled the plug on the entire investigation, and till this day, they won't tell me why I was released and left alone as if I was now useless…and would forget all the hell they put me through.

Nevertheless, I was sent home to my family where I had lived up until a month or so before moving on with my life… I couldn't take it. Sure, it was great to see them again, but I felt like something was missing…

Well…like Quistis said, the forests had undergone demolition; Ellone held my hand when we watched it on television, broadcasted all over the world. Somehow, I felt a piece of myself die with the razing of that continent. Fujin, Raijin, Seifer, and all the others who died or were dying because of that place…I wonder where they are now…

Those people were responsible for having an impact on my life…the life I fled from…

The irony of it all; why I had been chosen to have my life thrown away and stained as that of some murderer's, why I looked down on convicts as if they were lower than dirt and gave no remorse, even after watching them take their last steps in shame…all was to show me the less life I had for myself. Why would I _thrive_ on another man's pain? It was because I had no life of my own. Everything I worked so hard to achieve had been predestined before my birth. Yes, my dad wanted me to write for him, and eventually _I _would take over Timber Maniacs.

Of course Ellone also took an interest in journalism, but she wanted no part of Timber Maniacs; actually, he preferred his _son_ to overtake the company, and Ellone decided to take her own path. Something I truly admired her for.

I felt trapped, knowing that my future would be at Timber Maniacs, and I would probably never be able to travel the world and write… Yeah, there were times when I felt secure and even happy that I was always with my dad, but all those were facades to hide how I truly about felt my life. Even so, I still love him and everyone else; I could never resent them for simply…_loving_ me.

However, I was given the opportunity to have my life turned upside down, and end up at the last place I ever wanted to be: taking the walk of shame on live TV. My trials were what I deserved, what I needed to hear and to experience; it would be the only way to liberate myself from my own shell.

Through my weaknesses and fears, I've discovered formidable strength and durability. I no longer need to live in my father's shadow, and for the first time, I've taken control of my own life. It took an accusation, a death ride by dozens of beasts, and extreme convicts, who I am truly thankful to have met and will _always_ remember, to open my eyes and realize what I had before _wasn't_ a life. How many words could a person produce if _nothing_ ever happened to them? Therefore I'm grateful, grateful for having to live through hell…and what's more rewarding is that, I can say that I made it through…I lived through it all.

But even after forgiving them, I felt like something was missing…and so I moved away. I moved to a place in Dollet where the sun sets on the sea's horizon…it mirrors the sunset at the summerhouse, the one Rinoa and I saw after we made love… I will never forget that sunset, and I will never forget Rinoa. I sometimes feel like I see her walking amongst the people in Dollet, carrying on in a daily routine. Even worse, I thought I had smelled her scent mixed with the salt water near the shoreline… I know, I've lost my mind…

…Two weeks after I moved, Selphie called me up and we had talked for sometime, mostly about the recent things, never about our past. Before, I wished for the sound of her voice, but after I had talked with her for less than five minutes, I realized I could never feel the same way about her again.

It seemed she had moved on with her life too, and she's doing well. I'm happy for her, really I am, but I've been so bitter about everything in my life again…

And now, somehow, it feels like I'm right back at square one…falling into a pattern that will ultimately lead me to something horrific, just as before. But I feel as though it could be prevented, if just one little thing happened… Rinoa…

I pulled a mug of warm cocoa toward my face, delighting in its warmth; who knew a cup of hot chocolate could be truly missed?

There in my villa in Dollet, I can isolate myself from all my troubles and try to relax, at least, that was the idea. My dad said he would be happy if I had started writing stories, following in his and _my_ old dreams, but…when I think about the fact that I could be copying _his_ footsteps, the thoughts of writing seem to demolish and I'd spend the entire day wishing I could do something _else_ with my time.

I heard the wind chimes, a silly thing my mom bought for me when I announced my moving away again, chiming as the wind gusted by. I figured, I may as well go outside to catch a light breeze instead of staying inside wishing I were…well not _dead_, but close to it. However, I have to admit that Caraway was right about one thing. I'm _already_ dead so to speak. I'm dead to the world and to her in a sense.

I opened the door and stepped onto the porch, inhaling a deep breath and exhaled, watching my soul soar through the wind. And as I watched it glide gracefully, my eyes had caught a slip of paper attached to the porch railing.

"…Where did this come from?" I yanked it from the railing and pulled the card to my face to read the first thing I saw.

_Another day…_

I nearly died standing, something I just wished for a short while ago, right? Shaking my head in disbelief, I read again the first line I saw on the card, _"Another day…"_ Who else would use those words but…her…?

I read the entire card, and dropped the mug in my hand onto the porch. It shattered instantly, but I couldn't care less. "…Rinoa."

* * *

**_Bliss_**

* * *

…Squall risked so much when he decided to protect me… We both knew what would've happened had I still been inside with him that night… Just like my father, my name would've been in the headlines for centuries…it probably is, somewhere…

But thanks to Quistis, I was able to make it through without the slightest detection.

Watching Squall being taken away had been the worst thing to face, but not knowing what would happen to him later on had bothered me further. I realized one way or the other, one of us would not be happy. I had held closely to my heart, the same cell phone Quistis used to contact us before with, and I held onto it tightly.

Three days later, it rang, and Quistis knew that I would be at its end. She consoled me, something I hadn't expect from a soldier of Esthar, especially to someone like me… So there I was, crying… "I can't take it anymore. …I can't hide forever." Seeing that I was distraught and overwhelmed with despair, Quistis agreed to keep my capture a secret… She told me that Squall was being tortured and interrogated repeatedly because of me…but after I had turned myself in, the investigation ceased and Squall was released.

In my orange slacks, (my prisoner outfit) I had something to smile about.

Some weeks later, Quistis worked a deal out so I could visit my father in the D-District Prison. I was flown from Esthar's penitentiary and landed at the dusty D-District Prison where I met with my father for the second time in a while. Knowing that our conversation would be monitored, he set me up into a trap where _I_ _hadn't _confessed to the arson and murder, but rather he had, and was there at the scene… Later on, I found out he was charged with another count of murder. My father had taken back all the pain he caused me throughout my entire life…but I still wanted to have him as my father…

Shortly afterwards, I was able to make an appeal and given a reasonable bail, which was paid by none other than my birth mother. That's what I was told anyway…I don't know if it's true. I…wondered if I would ever see her, or I still wonder, rather…

Well, all that brings me here… Quistis gave me a tip, and from that tip, I've met the wonderful family of Squall _Leonhart._ They were kind enough to tell me where I could find him, of course, they wouldn't let me leave until I gave them proof that I knew their son personally. I mean, I don't blame them for being so paranoid; the things some people will do for a story…those journalists _are_ _amazing_… As my proof, I simply quoted Squall's dad saying; "Dreaming about the future…will only scare you today." Words I will never forget…

Needless to say, I was on my way to find him again.

I had identified his house from a row of many, and approached it with caution. I sneaked onto the porch, a skill I've gained from the many weeks in that dreadful forest when hiding away from T-Rexaurs. I had carefully tied the loose thin string on the wooden rail and made my way away from his house.

I wanted to surprise him…yeah, that was the _excuse_, but in reality…I was scared to face him directly. Who knew what would do to me if he ever saw me again? What if he had forgotten about me after all this time?

Just as I had questioned myself about Squall, he appeared on the porch of his house, emerging from his country style home. He held a mug in his hand, and at that moment, I smiled. He looked like some old nosy man peeping on everybody else in the neighborhood.

I had been standing far away in the distance as I watched him spot my letter, and as he read from it, I saw the mug he was carrying drop to the porch. Quite frankly, I had gotten his attention, and I was _surely_ missed…

Forcing my body to move, I made my way closer to Squall and watched as his brown hair swayed with the blowing wind. Even from this distance, I can tell Squall looks even more attracting without the mess and dirt from the forests' mud covering his features. He had always held a soft spot in my heart…since I too had first encountered him. I realized even more after we had separated that I was in love with him as well… Always…

I neared the porch and stared at Squall as he continued to read from my letter, savoring every last word… And as he mouthed those words silently, I had recited along with him, the words of my letter.

_Another day…_

_Just another day we should appreciate being alive…_

_Alive and well…_

_Between Heaven and Hell_

_**The End**_

* * *

_**Author's Conclusion of Total Delusion (eheheh…)**_

* * *

**Oh yeah, and forgive me…I really didn't want to overdue the ending…eek! I hope it's worth the wait, the time, and the read…**

_**-sings- Near…Far…Wherever you—lol, I'm just kidding! T'is over…the journey and thrill ride is over! Unbelievable…! Guys, this has been an incredible adventure for me, and there are so many shout outs and thank yous I have to make… Where to start? I do not know… -All the cast of this story rise and bows, (all of them! lol) –a round of applause- **_

_**(And following the thank yous are the EXTRAS! So skim or skip on down there to find out the details, or hilarities, about the story while it was under development! lol) **_

_**Anyway, the weather was bad again, and knocked me off the Internet for a longer time than expected. I can't stand being behind schedule! . **_

_**Flame if you will but this was only a conclusion! I hope anyone wasn't expecting action from this chapter, but I guess…watching the girls and boys play fight was all the action it needed, right? Lol Whatever, just go back and read the action filled chapters from before. (And I'll go through and take down those annoying typos for you! I hate typos, but they just love me! ) **_

_**Well, I had fun writing. Catch my next action adventure some time later, right now I'm working on a drama, Damaged Hearts, I'll have some action involved, but nothing drastic. However, the story following it, will more than make up for my drought. **_

_**And now, the Final Thank You list: (Already? ….Awww! So this one goes out to EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER REVIEWED!) **_

_**In order of appearance:**_

_**Naysayfire Lady Rinoa Blue Doom18769**_

_**Jen Yuleen75Orestes666 Kitsu Kurasei**_

_**Sylin Pretty LikeDrugsArkv01 Silver-nex**_

_**Skydream YaeTsuki Leonhart**_

_**IttanMomenAyatoBlackWind92**_

_**And two others…grrrr! **_

_**Wow, it was so few people that contributed to those reviews, you guys are great!**_

_**Anyways here's my reply list for chapter 19:**_

_**BlackWind92: I know, this update came too late and its definitely too long, right? –cries in agony- I'll make it up to you with another story, sounds good? Thanks for your reviewing, seriously, they encourage me so much! And you've written some stories too? I shall make time to read them and compliment! Thanks!**_

_**Yae: Yeah, Yeah, you were right. I had always loved the idea that Cid and Edea's orphanage seemed more like a vacationing place (well…when it was all fixed up in the past.) And so I decided to have Squall and Rinoa go there to stay… I hope you enjoyed the conclusion…and I really hope it wasn't a drag. But regardless of how this one goes, I'm going to really miss your motivating reviews! They helped out so much and I couldn't be happier, trust me, its good to know that someone somewhere appreciates my work. Thanks again, Yae, and take care! **_

_**Yuleen75: I couldn't agree with you more, they should be banished from this site! Lol Ahh, I had a difficult time with the storms passing through, but I managed to survive. It's horrible that you have to face everyone that goes through, though. Geez, I just wish we'd have a peaceful hurricane season for once, eh? Anyway, I know this one doesn't have too much action, but its just a conclusion right? I wished I could turn it in sooner, but things just kept happening again and again. I just hope I haven't disappointed with this one. Thanks for everything Yuleen, you've truly been helpful to me. I'm just going to miss this… -runs away crying- Oh yeah, not to worry, I've got info about a new fic I'm working on at the bottom, check it out!**_

**_Blue: Whoa! I have lost the rambling contest for sure…lol. Everyone, Blue is the true 50th reviewer and deserves cookies too. Ah, never fear, I'm sure Squall will take up the sword in their little home sometime, you know? But there's even more sword play in the fic to follow so stay tuned. (Of course, you should've figured that out by now. I've been throwing hints like crazy, lol) Oh uh…Squall glared intensely and raises his gunblade high…he looks at your petty mountain ranges and summons meteor showers to knock down the walls. Squall approaches you with smoldering eyes and heaves clouds of aggravation from his mouth. He glares at you and then suddenly, drops the act. He turns his back and mutters, "I'm sorry, okay…?" Squall flees from the scene. (lol) Thanks Blue!_**

_**Silver-nex: Whoa, Thanks so much for reading. You're tackling all of my projects I see, this is wonderful! Say, why weren't you around sooner? It would've been fun to have someone else to kid around with along with the usual crazies around here during my usual updates from long ago. Hehe, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as it was the final and all… -sighs- Thanks for reading, its really appreciated. –sends cookies to you- lol **_

_**Tsuki Leonhart: Thanks so much Tsuki, I hope your new home is great. I wanted to update sooner… Anyways, I'm going to catch up reading your story too, so don't worry. You haven't seen the last of me. Good luck, and thanks again! **_

_**Orestes666: Yeah, sadly this is the final… I'm glad everything was cleared, but I hope this chapter kinda…answers the remainders and more…you know? It wasn't too dramatic was it? Lol. Say, your reviews have really gotten me to pull through, and I thank you for that. How much mushier can I get in this note box? –cries- Thanks so much! Lol Oh, and I hope you had a great trip. Geez, it's been ages since I've updated, hasn't it?**_

_**Lady-Rinoa: Haven't I always said that I'm a sucker for romances? I hope this chapter made you smile, as I had promised! No worries about the late review, you review whenever you feel like it, but I'm glad you did. Aww! You've walked through another story with me, and I'll be there to do the same for you. Thanks always, **__**StardustRay.**_

_**Okay Everyone…there were a few reviews I received throughout my story that just made me feel…Great! I can't express how thankful I am to have you guys write what you write to me, you don't know how hard it is to do this sometimes. In the beginning, it was posted out for fun and a little joke…but it became one of the best things I've even decided to do. On this note, I've decided to continue to write any idea that might suddenly come to mind from now on. Now don't expect me to post up stories all year round, but I will be back during the summer mostly and sometimes during the school breaks. I thank you all so much for your patience and continuous support, I assure you, I couldn't have done this without any of you. Thanks again, and again. So please, let me know what you thought overall, I want to hear from you. **_

_**And now…**_

_**-Extras- :D **_

_**(Keep in mind that I'm a tad bit sarcastic with this list…Enjoy!)**_

_**Did you know? …Hmm?**_

_**This story wasn't supposed to be told in Squall's view!**_

_**It was never intended to be this long! (It the story, the A/Ns, the TYs, everything!)**_

_**Nida was supposed to have a huge role! Oops…**_

_**Zell wasn't supposed to live; he originally died in the third chapter! (It's true…sadly T.T)**_

_**Fujin didn't have any lines before! (She was supposed to be a mute!) **_

_**Squall's experience was to be a dream!**_

_**After the fifth or sixth chapter, everything was improvised!**_

**_Raijin ditched the others and the storyline then reappeared for—wait a minute…that actually happened! O.O (okay, okay, so Raijin WASN'T supposed to ditch anything…and so on…) _**

_**Squall was only supposed to be in the forest for several chapters! (But because you guys liked it so much, I added on! So, nah!)**_

_**Rinoa originally hadn't been in the forest at all!**_

_**Caraway wasn't supposed to go to prison, he was going to meet an angry Squall…guess where…the Forests!) **_

_**Quistis is crazy! She pretended to shoot Squall; she pulled the trigger and everything! (Yeah, I find that to be really psycho…lol) No surprise there. Enough said. **_

_**Cid and Edea originally found Squall floating in the water… alone! Oops…**_

_**The T-Rexaurs ran on Double-A Batteries! (Sorry Ittan-Momen, these babies come with a price. Haha) One of them broke down on set too…chewed a tree stomp, poor thing, haha.**_

_**Between Heaven and Hell is short for The Island Closest to Heaven and ditto-Hell, I spent most of my time there, and it was Fab-u-lous! Lol Although the orphanage is not exactly between those two islands, the story symbolized Squall's struggle with his faith and fate! Hehe. **_

_**All the cookies you guys gave me went directly to Selphie's Save-A-Chocobo campaign, she's currently receiving high ratings, as well as becoming most wanted…err, better pass that one by, right?**_

_**Speaking of Chocobos, yes Yae, Chocobos were originally in the story! (I kid you not!) They were….-drum roll- …food shipments for the T-Rexaurs whenever criminal activity was at the lowest and no convict had been sentenced there! I know, it was heartless, that's why I didn't put them in. No worries though, support Selphie's campaign and they'll be ready for action next time. By the way, they were actually the original escape plan to Squall and anyone else who might have been interested. **_

_**And finally, this author merely ate twizzlers and PB& J sandwiches while listening to hard rock and random game music as she wrote this fanfic! (True Story!) **_

_**So… Did you know? …Of course not!**_

_**There were more did you knows- but…I cut it short, lol. Action/Comedy is my favorite Genre! Oh, the second disk of FF8 is my all time fav! Lol **_

_**And umm…Ease up on the flames, I'm under another Hurricane Warning…T.T**_

_**ANYWAYS…**_

_**-Curtsies- Thank you much and much for your support and patience! Again, I am terribly sorry for the long wait… **_

_**You know me well by now right? …Let me have it! Talk to me! **_

_**A sweet goodbye to Between Heaven and Hell, much frustration and fun created this enticing story, so I do hope you guys have enjoyed yourselves as much as I have had fun writing. Thanks again! **_

_**StardustRay has left the building…(not quite…) **_

**Please be on a lookout for my newest story (_Not_ Damaged Hearts, good heavens _no!)_ called _Eternal Breath_. It's a fantasy/action/and romance adventure from yours truly, Moi! Filled with bizarre plot twists and such. It was inspired by the game's sorcery themes, a long devastating battle with Ultimecia/Griever, (which I won of course!) and _you all_ for encouraging me to keep writing. Thanks so much! So even if this story's ending was sucky and whack (or maybe not), I'd like to make it up to you with another that's good, hehe. And just incase you don't want it to be sucky again, give me a few pointers or suggestions, I'll think over and consider your ideas. **

**Much Love and Dedication, **

_**StardustRay **_


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